More than a thousand people in Gaza have died while awaiting permission to leave the territory for urgent medical care, as restrictions on movement continue to choke access to life-saving treatment. Health officials say many of those who died could have survived had evacuation procedures functioned in a timely manner, warning that the real toll is likely higher due to gaps in reporting amid widespread destruction.

Hospitals across Gaza are operating only partially, with severe shortages of essential medicines, specialist equipment and laboratory supplies. Doctors describe a system pushed beyond breaking point by months of genocidal war, where patients with heart disease, cancer and kidney failure are left without adequate treatment. Even when medical supplies are approved for entry, the process remains slow and burdened by obstacles that delay delivery to facilities already overwhelmed by casualties.

The situation has been further compounded by harsh winter conditions, with storms and flooding worsening the plight of displaced families living in makeshift shelters. Limited access to clean water and sanitation has heightened fears of outbreaks of respiratory infections, hepatitis and diarrhoeal diseases, particularly among children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. Despite a declared ceasefire, continued violations have added to the death toll, deepening a humanitarian catastrophe that shows no sign of easing.