20,000 Palestinians needing urgent medical care denied departure through Rafah crossing

Around 20,000 Palestinians require urgent medical evacuation from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, yet only a few dozen have so far been permitted to leave through the partially reopened Rafah border crossing. 

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, Israel’s limited and highly restricted operation of the crossing has resulted in only a small number of medical evacuations, leaving thousands of critically ill patients trapped inside the enclave.

The ministry warned that the scale of departures falls dramatically short of urgent medical needs. 

Data released by Gaza’s Government Media Office shows that since the crossing reopened, just 488 people have passed through Rafah out of an expected 1,800 who were due to move in both directions - a compliance rate of roughly 27%. 

The ministry said that despite the announcement of the crossing’s partial reopening on 2 February, the number of patients allowed to travel remains extremely low and wholly disproportionate to the accumulated medical demand.

It described the current measures as inadequate, failing to meet even the most basic humanitarian obligations towards the sick and wounded. 

Officials added that those awaiting evacuation include patients with cancer, heart disease and kidney failure, as well as individuals suffering severe injuries that cannot be treated inside Gaza.

The ministry warned that continuing under the existing evacuation mechanism poses a direct threat to thousands of lives and further deepens the health and humanitarian crisis, urging the international community to fulfil its legal and moral responsibilities. 

The statement also referenced what it described as “harsh and painful” testimonies from patients who were able to leave Gaza, many of whom reported being subjected to complex procedures and additional restrictions.

These conditions, the ministry said, compounded their psychological and physical suffering while they were already in extremely poor health. 

Gaza’s Ministry of Health called for the permanent and regular opening of the Rafah crossing, which borders Egypt, to ensure unrestricted and timely movement for patients and the wounded.

It also demanded the immediate evacuation of critical cases and a significant increase in the number of travellers in line with the scale of medical need. 

The ministry further appealed for urgent intervention by international and humanitarian organisations to guarantee patients’ right to treatment and travel - a right protected under international law - stressing that patients’ lives “are not mere numbers to be postponed”. 

Since the crossing reopened, Israel has allowed travel only for a small number of pre-approved and heavily vetted individuals, while the pace of medical evacuations has fallen far short of the figures previously promised. 

During the first week following the reopening of the crossing, between 2 and 5 February, only 135 Gaza-based residents, most of them patients and their companions, were able to leave the territory to seek treatment. 

Movement has also occurred in the opposite direction, with dozens returning to Gaza during the same period. More recently, 41 Palestinians entered Gaza through Rafah this week, bringing the total number of returnees since reopening to 72.  

Meanwhile, only about 250 people have left Gaza overall, according to the Government Media Office. 

Multiple reports also indicate that Palestinians attempting to leave Gaza have been subjected to humiliating searches and lengthy interrogations by the Israeli military, which controls the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing.

Rafah remains the sole entry and exit point for nearly all of Gaza’s more than two million residents. The crossing was kept closed by Israel for most of its genocidal war on Gaza since 7 October 2023. 

Following reported pressure from the United States, Israel eventually permitted its partial reopening- a move long demanded by the United Nations and aid groups, and a central element of US President Donald Trump’s proposed "ceasefire" framework for Gaza. 

Despite this, humanitarian conditions remain dire, with Israeli attacks continuing to claim Palestinian civilian lives.