UN officials say Gaza's health system has collapsed, with women, newborns and the critically ill facing starvation and death amid continuing Israeli attacks.

The World Health Organization has led the medical evacuation of 41 critical patients and 145 companions out of Gaza, as UN officials described the devastated enclave as resembling "a dystopian film."

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that around 15,000 patients in Gaza are awaiting evacuation.

"We continue to call on countries to show their solidarity and for all routes to be opened to expedite the medical evacuation," he said.

Many of the evacuated patients suffer from injuries sustained during Israel's two-year-long genocide in Gaza, while others have chronic conditions such as cancer and heart disease that the enclave's collapsed health system can no longer treat.

During the war, more than 7,000 patients have been evacuated from Gaza, with Egypt taking over half of them.

However, the rate of transfers has slowed drastically since Israel seized control of the Rafah border crossing in May 2024.