FILE: Palestinians transport their belongings on the back of a van as they flee Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip to a safer location on May 11, 2023, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. More people will die in Gaza because medical evacuations from the Palestinian territory have halted since Israel launched its offensive in Rafah three weeks ago, the World Health Organisation said Tuesday.
Before October 7, between 50 and 100 people left the enclave every day for treatment not available in the territory, including for cancer. Palestinian militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the Israeli army says are dead. Since medical evacuations halted on May 8, an additional 1,000 critically ill and wounded patients have been added to that list, Harris said.