UN: 16,500 Gaza patients still need urgent treatment abroad

United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said more than 16,500 Palestinian patients still require life-saving treatment outside the Gaza Strip, underscoring the scale of Israel’s ongoing blockade on medical movement.

Despite the ceasefire announced on 10 October, Israeli forces continue military operations across Gaza, killing and injuring Palestinians on a near-daily basis. At the same time, Israeli authorities keep tight restrictions on the entry of food, medicine and essential medical supplies, deepening a humanitarian catastrophe for Gaza’s 2.4 million residents.

Hospitals, already shattered by sustained Israeli attacks, remain overwhelmed and unable to cope, as preventable deaths mount under siege-like conditions.