Gaza Herald — Forty-five Palestinian patients and 51 companions left the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing on Tuesday for medical treatment abroad, according to Gaza’s Border and Crossings Authority.
The authority said the 96 travellers departed as part of a medical evacuation coordinated and managed by the World Health Organization (WHO), which worked with relevant parties to complete procedures for the patients and their companions.
The authority also reported that 61 Palestinians returned to Gaza through the crossing on Tuesday.
Medical evacuations remain critical as Gaza’s devastated healthcare system struggles to provide specialised treatment for patients with serious and complex conditions.
The latest evacuation comes amid continuing concerns over Palestinians’ access to treatment outside Gaza. Days earlier, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Israeli authorities had reduced a group of 136 patients and companions previously approved to travel to Egypt to just 61, prompting the ministry to accuse Israel of obstructing access to urgent specialised care.
