Medical authorities have issued a stark warning about the plight of tens of thousands of people in Gaza who urgently need treatment that is largely unavailable in the besieged territory. Over 16,500 patients are in need of critical care, with calls intensifying for the immediate opening of all evacuation routes to allow them access to essential medical services.

Experts emphasise that children are particularly vulnerable, with recent estimates suggesting that one in five under the age of three has missed vital vaccinations, leaving them at heightened risk of preventable diseases. Meanwhile, the flow of humanitarian aid remains severely restricted, almost a month after a ceasefire. Supplies of tents, fuel, and essential cooking gas have been blocked, leaving countless families without shelter or basic necessities ahead of winter.

The destruction caused by previous military operations continues to reverberate, including the targeting of medical and fertility facilities, which resulted in the instantaneous loss of thousands of stored embryos. In the West Bank, the threat of forced displacement persists, with demolition orders against longstanding communities highlighting ongoing measures to consolidate control over occupied lands. International bodies and governments are being urged to exert pressure to ensure unrestricted access to aid and to uphold the rights of civilians under international law.