The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that more than 16,500 critically ill people in Gaza are in urgent need of medical care that is no longer available inside the Strip, as the enclave’s health system continues to collapse under the weight of destruction, siege, and shortages.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued the appeal on X on Tuesday, urging countries around the world to open their borders to Gaza’s wounded and chronically ill. “We urge more countries to receive patients from Gaza,” he wrote.

The warning came as the WHO evacuated 19 critically ill patients and 93 companions from Gaza to Italy for specialized medical treatment, a rare humanitarian transfer made possible through coordination with the Italian government and European partners.

While the evacuation offered a glimmer of relief for a small group of patients, it underscores a much grimmer reality: tens of thousands remain trapped, many with life-threatening injuries, cancer, kidney failure, or severe trauma, unable to access the treatment they need to survive.

Dr. Tedros reiterated calls to open all evacuation routes, including to the West Bank and East Jerusalem, stressing that existing pathways are insufficient to meet the scale of the medical emergency.

Since October 2023, Gaza’s health system has been decimated by relentless bombardment and blockade. Dozens of hospitals have been destroyed or rendered inoperative, thousands of medical workers have been killed or detained, and the flow of humanitarian aid remains severely restricted. The WHO and local health authorities have repeatedly warned that patients are dying daily from preventable causes, including lack of oxygen, dialysis, and cancer care.

Data by the Gaza Health Ministry indicates that Israel’s war on the besieged enclave has claimed the lives of more than 68,800 people and left over 170,600 injured, mostly women and children.

Without immediate large-scale medical evacuations and the restoration of Gaza’s health infrastructure, thousands more will die waiting for care that never comes.