The evacuation of critically ill and wounded patients from Gaza has been described as “agonisingly slow” by a group of British medics who have been working in the region. In a letter to the UK government, the doctors and nurses called for immediate ceasefire corridors to allow medical evacuations and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The group, which includes specialists in emergency medicine and surgery, said that the current rate of evacuations through the Rafah crossing into Egypt is far too limited to meet the needs of the population. They reported that hundreds of patients, including children with severe burns and traumatic injuries, are waiting for treatment that is unavailable in Gaza’s overwhelmed hospitals.
“Every day of delay means more preventable deaths,” the letter states. “We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in real time. The only solution is a ceasefire that guarantees safe passage for the wounded and the supplies that we so desperately need.”
The medics’ plea comes as the World Health Organization warns that Gaza’s health system is on the brink of collapse. Only a fraction of the territory’s hospitals are functional, and those that remain are operating far beyond capacity with dwindling supplies of fuel, water, and medicine.
Dr. William Spencer, a trauma surgeon who recently returned from Gaza, described the scene in Al-Shifa Hospital as “apocalyptic”. “We were performing surgeries without anaesthesia. Patients were dying on trolleys because we simply didn’t have the resources to treat them,” he said. “The only way to prevent further loss of life is to create humanitarian corridors that allow people to leave and aid to come in.”
The British government has so far stopped short of calling for a full ceasefire, instead advocating for “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid deliveries. Critics argue that these pauses have been ineffective, as they are often broken by continued hostilities.
The situation in Gaza has been exacerbated by the ongoing blockade, which restricts the movement of people and goods. The Rafah crossing, the only point of exit not controlled by Israel, has been open only intermittently, and thousands of foreign nationals and dual citizens remain trapped inside the territory.
As the medical crisis deepens, the international community faces growing pressure to act. The United Nations has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire, but diplomatic efforts have so far failed to secure one. In the meantime, the medics’ plea serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of the conflict.
“We cannot wait any longer,” the letter concludes. “The people of Gaza are running out of time. We urge the UK government to use its influence to demand an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of safe corridors for evacuation and aid. History will judge us by how we respond to this crisis.”
