LONDON— A High Court judge has ruled that Charlie Gard — a terminally ill 11-month-old who has become the face of a worldwide debate over end-of-life rights — will be moved to hospice care.

Charlie’s parents and doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital finally agreed that Charlie would die in hospice, according to BBC News.

It reported that Charlie’s parents wanted to pay for a private medical team to oversee their son’s care so they could spend time with him, but the hospital argued that prolonging his life would not be in his best interest.

Judge Nicholas Francis gave them until noon Thursday to come up with a plan, or he said Charlie would be transferred to hospice and soon disconnected from life support.

After the deadline had passed, the judge approved that plan, saying that it ‘‘will inevitably result in Charlie’s death within a short period of time thereafter,’’ according to the Associated Press.

For many months, Charlie’s parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, have been fighting in court to keep their son alive.

But that battle — which has drawn sympathy and support from Pope Francis and President Trump, with hospitals in Rome and New York offering to help — is coming to an exhausting and emotional end.

A spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital called the months-long ordeal ‘‘a uniquely painful and distressing process’’ for everyone involved in it.

‘‘Charlie’s parents have tirelessly advocated for what they sincerely believed was right for their son, and nobody could fault them for doing so,’’ a hospital statement said. ‘‘All of us at Great Ormond Street Hospital get up every morning to care for sick children, not to cause further anguish to devoted parents like Chris and Connie.’’

The hospital said it exhausted all options to try to accommodate the parents’ wishes for their son’s final moments, but that his ‘‘severe and complex needs’’ made it impossible.

‘‘The risk of an unplanned and chaotic end to Charlie’s life is an unthinkable outcome for all concerned and would rob his parents of precious last moments with him,’’ the spokesperson said.

Great Ormond Street Hospital said it will arrange for Charlie’s transfer to a children’s hospice that will ‘‘make these last moments as comfortable and peaceful as possible for Charlie and his loved ones.’’

On Monday, Charlie’s parents gave up their battle in court, acknowledging that time had run out and that their son would die within days, not even living to see his first birthday on Aug. 4.

‘‘We are about to do the hardest thing we will ever have to do, which is to let our beautiful little Charlie go,’’ Gard said as he stood in front of the gothic stone of London’s High Court building alongside Yates. Both choked back tears, with onlookers openly weeping.

Gard and Yates spent Tuesday trying to persuade the hospital and a judge to let them say goodbye to Charlie at home. Hospice was the second-best option, their attorney told a judge at a hearing.

Yates and Gard wanted Charlie with them at home several days before he received palliative care, according to the Mirror.