Israel Blocks Gaza Medical Evacuations Through Rafah Border
Raed Al-Nams, spokesman for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), told Xinhua that relevant authorities informed the society that Israel had decided to cancel the departure of the third group of patients scheduled to travel through the Rafah crossing on Wednesday.
However, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an agency operating under Israel's Defense Ministry, disputed the cancellation on social media Wednesday, asserting "contrary to reports in the Gazan media, the Rafah Crossing has opened this morning as usual, in accordance with the agreement and Israel's commitment."
COGAT attributed the holdup to administrative delays, stating "The World Health Organization (WHO), which is responsible for coordinating the arrival of residents from the Gaza Strip to the Rafah Crossing, has not submitted the required coordination details at this stage for procedural reasons," adding that once the coordination details are submitted, the transfer of patients and their companions via the Rafah crossing would be facilitated.
According to Al-Nams, a total of 21 patients successfully exited through the Rafah crossing during the previous two days in coordination with the WHO.
The PRCS spokesman highlighted a catastrophic disparity between evacuation numbers and urgent medical needs, warning that more than 20,000 people require immediate travel abroad for medical treatment.
The Rafah border crossing on the Palestinian side reopened Monday following a trial phase Sunday, representing a key provision of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Israeli forces seized control of the Rafah crossing following military operations in Rafah city during May 2024 amid the Gaza conflict, severing the enclave from external access and deepening its humanitarian catastrophe.
The Rafah crossing serves as Gaza's primary gateway to the outside world and facilitated both civilian movement and commercial transit before the war.
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