Over 2,000 patients die awaiting treatment, evacuation from Gaza: medical official

GAZA, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- A total of 2,027 patients in the Gaza Strip have died while awaiting treatment and medical evacuation, amid the continued closure of crossings and restrictions on the entry of medicines and medical supplies, a medical official said Wednesday.

Mohammed Abu Afash, director of medical relief in Gaza City, told the official Voice of Palestine radio that more than 21,000 patients require medical evacuation. No patients have left the enclave through the Rafah crossing in the past five days, he added.

Abu Afash said the closure of crossings and delays in medical evacuations have worsened patients' health conditions and led to serious complications, particularly among those suffering from cancer, kidney failure, heart disease and other chronic illnesses.

Hospitals across the Gaza Strip are facing severe shortages of medical resources and diagnostic supplies, including laboratory and radiology services, operating rooms, medicines, and other medical supplies, he said. The shortages have prevented patients from receiving appropriate treatment.

Before the war, the Gaza Strip had more than 574 operational health centers, but only 227 are currently operating with limited resources, Abu Afash said, adding that the situation has adversely affected health services for pregnant women and children.

Meanwhile, Gaza's health authorities said hospitals had received three bodies and 17 wounded people over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of casualties recorded since the October 2025 ceasefire to 1,501 dead and 5,323 wounded.

In the daily report, the authorities said the cumulative death toll in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, had reached 74,392, with 175,440 people wounded.