"Rafah is the only crossing that connects Gaza to the outside world without passing through Israel, and it has been a vital passage for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of patients and the wounded."
"According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, more than 20,000 people in Gaza are awaiting permission to travel abroad for medical treatment. The ministry stated that the partial operation of the Rafah crossing is far from sufficient to address the scale of the humanitarian crisis."
"In early February, Israel reopened the Rafah border crossing, allowing movement between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for the first time since Israeli forces took control of the border in May 2024. However, movement through the crossing remains limited to highly restricted categories, primarily patients referred for medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip."
Israel's COGAT announced closure of all crossings in occupied Palestinian territories on March 1, including the critical Rafah border crossing with Egypt, following joint Israeli-American airstrikes on Iran. On March 3, only Kerem Shalom crossing was approved for gradual reopening under security restrictions for humanitarian aid entry, while Rafah and other crossings remained closed pending security assessment. Rafah serves as Gaza's only crossing not requiring passage through Israel and is essential for humanitarian aid delivery and patient evacuation. Though Israel reopened Rafah in early February after controlling it since May 2024, movement remained severely restricted to medical patients only. Gaza's Ministry of Health reports over 20,000 people await permission for medical treatment abroad, stating partial crossing operation is insufficient for the humanitarian crisis scale.
#rafah-crossing-closure #gaza-humanitarian-crisis #palestinian-border-restrictions #medical-evacuation #israeli-palestinian-conflict
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