Gaza's Medical Evacuation Crisis: 300 Dead Waiting to Leave

Sun Sep 06 2026 06:01:10 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Gaza patients face agonising delays in medical evacuation amid shortages and stringent security checks.

Amina Abu al-Kas’s mother died while waiting for medical evacuation, a tragedy that echoes the plight of many Gaza residents. After being approved by Gaza’s medical board, patients must still secure Israeli security clearance, secure host‑country acceptance, and pass further checks before they can leave. Official figures show 300 Palestinians have died awaiting evacuation and more than 15,000 patients are still on the waiting list since October’s ceasefire. Root causes include limited crossing days, strict security screening, and supply shortages within Gaza’s hospitals. The crisis illustrates how administrative and supply bottlenecks keep patients in pain and hospitals operating at breaking point.

The death of Amina Abu al-Kas, a Gaza hospital patient, was only announced to her son Saber two weeks after she died. Amina had been waiting for medical evacuation abroad following approval by Gaza’s medical board, an approval that seemed to bring her a renewed sense of hope.

Despite the board’s approval, she and her family had to wait for a call confirming that security clearance and acceptance by a foreign country had been secured. The delay proved fatal, as Amina’s mother died on 29 May. Saber later recalled the day he received the call from the hospital when the paperwork was finally ready.

The broader picture is stark: Gaza’s Hamas‑run health ministry reports that 300 Palestinians have died while waiting for evacuation since the ceasefire began last October. 15,000 patients still sit on the waiting list, and the WHO says only 1,977 people have successfully left Gaza for treatment abroad.

Doctors point to a series of hurdles. After a medical referral, patients must obtain Israeli security clearance and then be accepted by a host country that will provide treatment. Many host countries impose their own conditions – some only treat children or patients with short‑term needs – and visa and transit checks add further delay.

In early June, Gaza health ministry under‑secretary Maher Shamia identified the root causes as a lengthy security screening process and limits imposed by Israeli authorities on how many patients may leave each week. Rafah, the portal to Egypt, opens only on three days a week for all departures, while the Kerem Shalom crossing to Israel allows medical evacuations only one day a week.

Israel’s Civil Affairs body, Cogat, noted that departure depends on the receipt of an official request from an accepting country and the completion of security screening. While most requests have been approved since 2025, the time to secure the necessary clearances remains excessive.

The hospital environment cannot be helped by such delays: Gaza hospitals complain of shortages of basic consumables, pain killers, and advanced equipment. The International Committee of the Red Cross’s spokesman Pat Griffiths summed up the situation, saying that “people in Gaza are dying because they can’t receive the care they need.”

Patients and families at Al‑Shifa Hospital’s outside have staged protests, urging authorities to expedite the evacuation process. Nidal al‑Arir, who needs a corneal transplant, and Raeda Nuaizi, whose cancer caused her severe surgery, describe the pain of waiting while dealing with pain killers that do little for cancer. Muath al‑Dini, a 14‑year‑old who lost a leg in an air strike and suffers from spinal cancer, is also on the waiting list, having been asked to resubmit documents in May.

Desperation has pushed some patients to pay what they believe are “black‑market” agents thousands of pounds to fast track the paperwork, prompting the WHO to issue a warning against fraudulent brokers.

With 17,000 tons of medicines and medical aid having entered Gaza since the ceasefire, officials note that operational restrictions – like not allowing new generators or spare parts – threaten the survival of essential services. Yet patients continue to face mortality that could be prevented if the evacuation process was swift and supplies were not withheld.