Sick, Wounded Children Begin Crossing from Gaza to Egypt for Treatment

For the first time in nearly nine months, the Rafah border crossing has reopened, allowing sick and wounded Palestinian children to cross from Gaza into Egypt for medical treatment. On Saturday, a group of 50 children began making their way through the crossing.

The reopening of the Rafah crossing is a notable development that reinforces the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas earlier this month. Israel agreed to reopen the crossing after Hamas released the last surviving female hostages held in Gaza.

Egyptian television broadcast footage of a Palestinian Red Cross ambulance at the crossing gate, where children were carefully transported on stretchers to Egyptian ambulances. Many patients suffer from chronic illnesses, such as cancer, and have been unable to receive treatment during the 15-month conflict.

Under the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel established on January 19, a total of 400 Palestinians will be permitted to leave Gaza.

Mohammed Zaqout, who oversees hospitals within Gaza’s Health Ministry, stated that over 6,000 Palestinian patients are prepared for evacuation, with over 12,000 in urgent need of medical assistance.

Arwa Damon, from the Network for Relief Assistance (INARA), highlighted the challenging and slow evacuation process, where each name on the evacuation list must be cleared by Israeli authorities and requires coordination with the World Health Organization to transfer children to a third country for treatment.

The Rafah crossing was closed by Israeli forces in May of the previous year, with Egypt subsequently shutting down its side in solidarity.

Even prior to the conflict, Palestinians frequently relied on this crossing to seek lifesaving treatments unavailable in Gaza, such as chemotherapy.

The crossing will be managed by Palestinians from Gaza who previously worked as border officers, and European Union monitors will also oversee operations.