GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Starting Monday, Egypt will begin receiving Palestinian patients from Gaza via the Rafah border crossing for medical treatment, amid mounting warnings of a looming health catastrophe.
Cairo News Channel reported on Sunday that the Palestinian side of the crossing had opened for a trial run, with full operations set to begin Monday. Mobile intensive care units and round-the-clock ambulances have been prepared to handle the incoming patients.
Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, Director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza, warned that the absence of a clear mechanism for patient evacuation could lead to a significant increase in deaths. He said that around 20,000 patients and wounded individuals are in urgent need of medical attention, including 4,500 children.
He added that among them are 440 critical cases and nearly 4,000 cancer patients, many of whom are on emergency waiting lists to leave Gaza for treatment.
The Israeli government’s Coordinator of Government Activities announced Sunday that the crossing had reopened in coordination with the EU and Egypt, marking the first time in more than 18 months that the Palestinian side has operated after a near-total closure.
Hamas earlier affirmed that the right of Gaza’s residents to access Rafah must be upheld, warning that any restrictions imposed by Israel would violate international law and ceasefire agreements.
Recent images show the crossing suffered major damage following the Israeli incursion in May 2024. Partial road paving and new pathways are being installed to ease patient transport, even as Israeli forces maintain control over the Palestinian side since the war began in October 2023.
The Rafah crossing was briefly reopened during a ceasefire in January 2025 to allow for the passage of patients and wounded individuals, but it was shut again after the resumption of hostilities in March of the same year.
