UNICEF estimates that 2,500 ailing children need immediate evacuation from Gaza for treatment abroad. But many have been waiting for months for Israeli permission — or were met with unexplained rejections. The pace of medical evacuations has plummeted this year even as some 14,000 Palestinians of all ages are seeking permits. For parents, the wait has been tortuous as their children suffering from war wounds or chronic conditions face paralysis, blindness, amputation or even death if they don't get treatment abroad. Israel's military says it “makes every effort” to facilitate evacuations, but both patients and their caregivers face long security reviews.