About 20,000 Patients in Gaza Await Exit; Calls for Permanent Reopening of Rafah Crossing
The Gaza Ministry of Health has announced that approximately 20,000 patients and injured individuals in the enclave urgently need to leave for medical treatment, and the limited reopening of the Rafah crossing does not meet the current needs. The ministry has called for a permanent and regular opening of the crossing to ensure the uninterrupted transfer of patients.
The ministry’s statement noted that the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not compatible with the sporadic operation of the Rafah crossing. Patients are facing difficult conditions while waiting to be transferred to medical centers outside Gaza. The Rafah crossing, located at the border between Gaza and Egypt, is one of the main routes for the movement of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the area.
Simultaneously, the security situation in the Gaza Strip has reportedly worsened. Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, stated that from dawn Sunday until the time of reporting, at least 11 people have been killed and several others injured due to continuous Israeli army attacks on different areas.
According to Basal, rescue teams are still working to extract the wounded and recover the bodies of victims from under the rubble. He warned that with the continued bombing of residential areas, the death toll could rise in the coming hours, and rescue operations face serious challenges.
In a separate incident, an Israeli drone fired at residents in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, killing one person and injuring several others. These events are occurring amid warnings from health and aid organizations about the deepening humanitarian crisis and limited access to medical services in Gaza.
