More than 20,000 sick and wounded Palestinians in Gaza are waiting for permission to travel abroad for medical care as Israel maintains tight controls over the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Sunday.
In a statement, the ministry said it is monitoring the limited operation of the crossing as health conditions across Gaza continue to deteriorate.
Israel reopened the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on Feb. 2 after occupying it in May 2024, but movement remains heavily restricted.
According to the ministry, more than 20,000 patients are registered on travel lists, including people with advanced cancer, severe heart disease and kidney failure, many of whom require urgent specialized treatment unavailable in Gaza.
Many of the injured also need advanced surgical procedures that cannot be performed in Gaza because of the blockade and repeated strikes on the health care system, the ministry said.
