Gaza Herald – More than 20,000 Palestinians, including 4,500 children, waited for permission to travel for medical treatment abroad as of Tuesday, the Gaza Health Ministry reported, warning that the continued closure of the Rafah crossing directly threatened lives.
The ministry said 440 cases were classified as “life-saving,” and delays had worsened patients’ conditions amid acute shortages of medicine and medical supplies, compounded by damaged hospital infrastructure and collapsed specialized services.
Since Israel seized control of Rafah in May 2024 and destroyed its facilities, only 3,100 patients managed to leave the Strip. Meanwhile, 1,268 patients died waiting for approval to travel, including thousands suffering from cancer, whose treatment was critically delayed.
The ministry stressed that opening the crossing and allowing patients and the wounded to leave, while ensuring medical supplies enter Gaza, represented the “last lifeline” for thousands of critically ill patients.
Officials previously linked the crossing’s opening to the recovery of the remains of Israeli captive Ran Ghively. Israel announced the discovery of the remains after examining hundreds of graves north of Gaza, delaying the movement of patients despite prior ceasefire arrangements.
