In Gaza, children are dying from preventable diseases as medical evacuations remain stalled due to Israeli border closures, despite a ceasefire that began on October 10.
The crisis is starkly visible at Nasser Hospital, where children like 10-year-old Amar Abu Said, paralysed from a drone bullet, and Ahmed al-Jadd, suffering from a brain tumor, await urgent treatments that local facilities cannot provide. Their families, already traumatized by war and displacement, cling to hope for evacuations that could save their lives.
The World Health Organization reports that 15,000 patients need immediate medical transfers abroad. On Wednesday, the WHO coordinated the first post-ceasefire evacuation, moving 41 patients and 145 caregivers to Jordan via Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing. However, this small-scale effort is insufficient, with the Hamas-run health ministry noting that over 740 people, including nearly 140 children, died on waiting lists in the past year.
Israel has kept the Rafah crossing with Egypt closed since May 2024, citing security concerns and Hamas’s failure to return hostage bodies as per the ceasefire agreement. This closure severely limits evacuation routes, prompting the WHO to call for its reopening to facilitate more evacuations.
International bodies, including the EU and multiple countries, have urged Israel to allow patients to be treated in the West Bank, where hospitals like Augusta Victoria in East Jerusalem could handle dozens of cases daily. Dr. Fadi Atrash emphasized that this route is efficient and culturally appropriate, but Israeli authorities have not approved it, referring decisions to the political level without explanation.
Recent deaths, such as three-year-old Zain Tafesh from leukemia and eight-year-old Luay Dweik from hepatitis, highlight the urgent need for action. Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, director of paediatrics at Nasser Hospital, expressed frustration over daily losses from treatable conditions, underscoring the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system after two years of war.
The ongoing delays in evacuations exacerbate the humanitarian crisis, with children bearing the brunt of the conflict. Without swift intervention, more lives will be lost, deepening the despair in Gaza and hindering recovery efforts.