Gaza Herald– The Gaza Ministry of Health warned that the continued closure of border crossings represents a grave and direct threat to thousands of injured and sick individuals, as the healthcare system in the Strip has completely collapsed.
In a press statement, the ministry explained that the continued closure of border crossings endangers around 20,000 patients and injured people, who are awaiting medical treatment abroad after losing hope of receiving adequate care within Gaza.
According to official data from the ministry, 1,268 patients have died since the onset of the crisis. All were awaiting permits to leave, but the occupation’s persistent closure of border crossings prevented their access to treatment.
A pilot program is underway to test the crossing’s monitoring and screening system, with the European Commission overseeing one side and the Israeli authorities conducting most of the screening on the other.
After the pilot, Israel plans to allow 150 exits and 50 entries at Rafah daily, which is below the crossing’s previous capacity.
The ministry reports that 440 patients are currently in very critical condition, all classified as immediate life-saving cases, while 4,000 cancer patients and 4,500 children on emergency lists urgently require specialized treatment that is unavailable locally.
Medical infrastructure collapse and severe shortages of medicines have forced the suspension of specialized services, leaving hospitals at minimal capacity.
Since the closure of the Rafah crossing in May 2024, only 3,100 patients have managed to leave the Strip, a very small number that fails to match the magnitude of the disaster.
The ministry once again warned of a potentially unprecedented increase in patient deaths if border crossings are not promptly reopened and medical supplies guaranteed, calling on the international community to act immediately to prevent further humanitarian disaster.
