UN slams Israel over medical evacuations from Gaza

The UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, has revealed that only 446 patients, including 266 children, have been evacuated for medical treatment outside Gaza since Israeli forces closed the Rafah crossing in May last year.

Since Israel's war on Gaza began in October 2023, just over 5,000 people have been evacuated, a figure critics say highlights Israel’s stranglehold on vital humanitarian aid.

An estimated 12,000 Palestinians are in urgent need of medical evacuation abroad, with aid groups warning of catastrophic consequences as hospitals struggle to function amid relentless bombardments and dwindling resources.