British humanitarian organisations operating in Gaza have accused Hamas of obstructing the evacuation of critically ill patients, contributing to a rising death toll among civilians awaiting medical treatment. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the UK-based charity MedGlobal said its staff had documented at least 15 cases where patients died after Hamas-linked checkpoints delayed or denied passage to field hospitals or the Rafah border crossing.
The allegations come as aid groups intensify calls for safe evacuation corridors, which they say are being exploited by Hamas for tactical advantage. “We are witnessing a systematic failure to uphold the most basic principles of medical neutrality,” said Dr. Sarah Mitchell, MedGlobal’s Gaza coordinator. “Patients with treatable conditions are dying because armed groups prioritise political leverage over human life.”
Hamas officials have dismissed the accusations, claiming that Israeli airstrikes and bureaucratic restrictions are the primary causes of evacuation delays. However, aid workers counter that Israeli authorities have approved hundreds of medical evacuations in recent weeks, only for patients to be turned back at Hamas-run transit points.
The crisis has drawn sharp criticism from the British Foreign Office, which reiterated its call for “unimpeded humanitarian access” under international law. A spokesperson said the UK was “deeply concerned by reports that patients are being prevented from receiving life-saving care” and urged all parties to respect medical missions.
Analysts say the controversy underscores the broader collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system, where more than half of hospitals are now non-functional. The World Health Organisation estimates that over 10,000 patients require urgent medical evacuation, a figure that rises daily as fighting continues.
For British aid workers on the ground, the situation is becoming untenable. “We came here to save lives, not to navigate armed checkpoints,” Mitchell said. “Every day we delay, more people die.”
