Khaberni - The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip warned today, Tuesday, that the continued closure of the Rafah crossing in front of the movement of patients and wounded threatens their lives.
The ministry reported in a statement that there are about 20,000 patients with complete medical referrals waiting for permission to travel for treatment outside the region.
It stated that 440 cases are classified as life-saving cases, while 1,268 patients died while waiting for permission to travel, noting that cancer patients are among the most affected due to the lack of medication, specialized services, and diagnostic services.
According to the statement, the urgent waiting list includes about four thousand cancer patients, in addition to 4,500 children who have medical referrals, while only 3,100 patients have been able to leave the sector since the closure of the crossing on May 7, 2024.
It pointed out that the shortage of medications and medical consumables and the outage of most specialized services and the destruction of hospital infrastructure have exacerbated the waiting lists for treatment abroad.
The statement emphasized that opening the Rafah crossing and facilitating the exit of patients and the wounded and the smooth entry of necessary medical supplies is the last and only refuge for these patients.
Israel announced on Sunday its approval to open the Rafah crossing in a limited manner for individual crossing only, under full Israeli surveillance, according to a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The statement clarified that the decision came within the framework of the plan proposed by US President Donald Trump and that opening the crossing is conditional on the return of all living Israeli hostages and efforts to locate the remains of the deceased among them.
The announcement came after a meeting of the security cabinet, coinciding with the Israeli army’s announcement of the recovery of the remains of the soldier Ran Guili, who was killed on October 7, 2023 and his body was transferred to Gaza.
According to the Israeli army, this thus completed the recovery of all Israeli detainees alive or their remains, as part of the first phase of the deal mediated by the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and went into effect in October 2025.
The Rafah crossing is the only land outlet for the residents of Gaza to the outside world, and since Israel took control of it in May 2024, it has remained closed to civilians despite repeated agreements related to ceasefire.
The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has been ongoing since October 2025, including the first phase which involved the exchange of prisoners and detainees, the entry of humanitarian aid, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from some areas of the sector, while the second phase stipulates a full withdrawal and the launching of a reconstruction process under a transitional administration.
