Gaza Wounded Protest for Medical Evacuation Access

Wounded Palestinians in the Gaza Strip renewed demands for border crossings to be reopened for medical evacuations on Monday. They warned that prolonged delays in accessing specialized treatment abroad are putting their lives and limbs at increasing risk amid Israel’s ongoing blockade of the enclave.

The wounded staged a protest outside Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. They demanded permission to travel abroad for surgeries, rehabilitation, and treatment that are no longer adequately available inside the territory. This follows the destruction of much of its healthcare system during the conflict.

Protesters said their suffering is worsening with each passing day. This is particularly true for people with severe injuries, amputations, and conditions requiring prosthetic limbs or specialized treatment. More than twenty-one thousand eight hundred Gaza patients urgently need medical evacuation and specialized care right now.

Abdullah Abu Saleha, who sustained three injuries during the war, said the protest intended to demand basic rights. He emphasized foremost among them is access to treatment outside the Strip. He noted some patients urgently need surgeries and prosthetic limbs that are currently unavailable in Gaza.

According to Abu Saleha, delays in treating amputees can lead to severe complications and further disability. He stated that patients with injuries below the knee can see their conditions deteriorate significantly. This could reach a point where amputation above the knee becomes necessary due to lack of timely care.

He stressed that the wounded are not asking for charity but for their basic rights. Mohammad Mataou Dib Abdel Razek also described severe medical complications since his injury. He called on the World Health Organization to prioritize critical cases and allow wounded Palestinians to leave for urgently needed treatment.