GENEVA, February 3, 2026 (WAFA) – Over 18,500 patients in Gaza require specialized medical care unavailable in the Strip, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“More than 18,500 patients in Gaza still require specialized medical care that is unavailable inside the Strip,” WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus said on X.

He noted that the WHO and partners supported the medical evacuation of 5 patients and 7 companions to Egypt via the Rafah Crossing, describing it as “the first medical evacuation through this route since mid-March 2025.

He stressed that “Gaza’s health system urgently needs rehabilitation and rebuilding to reduce reliance on medical evacuations,” noting that “this is now the top priority.”

The WHO official emphasized the need for “a rapid scale-up of health services inside Gaza, including increased medical supplies, rehabilitation of damaged facilities, and expansion of critical services to build a resilient and sustainable health system.”

He reiterated the call for “the immediate reopening of the medical referral route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem” with the purpose of expediting access to life-saving care.

K.F.