Gaza medical evacuations: how patients are evacuated from Gaza

Who is eligible for medical evacuation

According to WHO, severely ill or injured patients who need lifesaving, specialised care that isn't available in Gaza can be evacuated abroad. A Referral Committee ranks cases by clinical need, in this order:

• Emergency cases.
• Urgent cases.
• Chronic conditions with complications.
• Chronic conditions without complications.

How patients are evacuated from Gaza, step by step

WHO describes the process like this:

• A doctor or specialist at a public hospital in Gaza examines the patient and, if needed, issues a referral for treatment abroad.
• The hospital sends the referral to the Referral Committee, which reviews the case, sets its priority and approves it.
• WHO checks the patient's medical records and sends patient lists to countries that may accept them.
• Once a country accepts a patient, WHO shares the companions' details for approval too.
• The list of approved patients and companions goes to Israeli authorities for security clearance. Egypt or Jordan must also approve if the patient is going to or through those countries.
• WHO moves the patient to a collection point inside Gaza and out through the crossing, where the host country takes over.

The routes out: Rafah and Kerem Shalom

The Rafah crossing with Egypt reopened on 2 February 2026 for a controlled number of passengers in both directions, with the EU's civilian mission, EUBAM Rafah, monitoring operations. The EU described it as "a true lifeline" for Gaza's sick and wounded.

It has become the main route for patients. According to OCHA's 18 September 2026 report, 2,452 patients and 3,696 companions had been evacuated through Rafah since it reopened. In May 2026, WHO's representative said patients could also leave through Kerem Shalom, which could be used up to once a week, on "a very long and complicated pathway to Jordan."

WHO is also calling for the medical corridor to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to be restored. It describes that corridor as the most cost-effective medical evacuation route.

How many patients have been evacuated

As of 24 September 2026, WHO said approximately 12,400 patients had been medically evacuated from Gaza since October 2023. Since the ceasefire announced on 10 October 2025, OCHA reported, WHO has evacuated 3,172 patients alongside 5,398 caregivers via Rafah and Kerem Shalom. Between 1 and 15 September 2026 alone, 270 patients and 299 caregivers left through the two crossings.

WHO has helped organise evacuations for thousands of patients to more than 30 countries. The host country pays for treatment and patients' and companions' essential needs, including housing, and must guarantee their right to return.

Why so many are still waiting

WHO said in September 2026 that tens of thousands more people still require specialised care that is unavailable in Gaza. The obstacles it lists include:

• Too few offers from countries willing to receive patients while the West Bank and East Jerusalem corridor stays closed.
• Border closures and a limited number of exits each day.
• Security conditions and logistical barriers, such as fuel shortages.
• Hard choices for families. "Often only one or two family members can leave and conditions for return are not always there," WHO's representative said in May 2026.