The Israeli occupation continues to obstruct the implementation of humanitarian protocols under the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, deliberately delaying approval lists to prevent the evacuation of patients and the injured for treatment abroad.

Approximately 30,000 patients in Gaza are waiting for medical transfers, while half a million injured individuals require urgent surgeries amid a dire shortage of medicines and medical supplies.

Dr Ahmed Al-Farra, Head of the Paediatrics Department at Nasser Medical Complex, stated that 20,000 patients and injured individuals registered with the Ministry of Health urgently need to leave Gaza for treatment, with an additional 10,000 preparing to apply for medical travel. He stressed that these patients require immediate surgical interventions to survive, while hundreds of injured individuals need medical procedures to heal from fractures and other severe injuries.

He further warned that delays in medical transfers have already led to fatalities, particularly among children with cancer. Some were close to recovery, with their blood almost clear of cancer cells, but the postponement of their treatment caused a rapid deterioration, leading to their deaths. Adult cancer patients face the same fate, with some already having succumbed due to the lack of access to life-saving treatments.

Dr Zaki Al-Zaqzouq, Head of the Oncology Department at the European Gaza Hospital, revealed that 10,000 cancer patients are in urgent need of medical care, yet the Israeli occupation continues to prevent the entry of essential medications into Gaza. He explained that the number of cancer patients permitted to travel is alarmingly low compared to the overwhelming need. Critical pain relief medications and drugs for leukaemia patients are nearly out of stock, and the absence of even a single drug can halt an entire treatment plan.He emphasised that these restrictions amount to a death sentence for patients in urgent need of care. Before the war, around 60% of all medical transfers were for cancer patients due to the longstanding shortage of medications and diagnostic tools.

On Sunday, Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya, Director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, warned that while direct killings may have decreased, the systematic denial of medical care continues to claim lives.

Under the ceasefire agreement in effect since 19 January, Israel was supposed to allow 300 people to leave Gaza daily, including 50 war-injured patients with companions, 50 additional patients in need of treatment abroad, and others classified under humanitarian cases.

However, government sources confirm that Israel has failed to uphold these commitments, exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.