GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Palestinian Red Crescent said it facilitated the medical evacuation of 47 Palestinians from Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which is operating under strict Israeli restrictions.
In a statement on Thursday, the organization said the evacuation included 17 patients and 30 companions transferred from its rehabilitation hospital in Khan Yunis to Rafah, ahead of their travel abroad for treatment.
The operation came after a brief suspension of activity at the crossing. Red Crescent teams coordinated the process with the World Health Organization and relevant authorities, ensuring safe transport and handling of the patients.
The organization said medical evacuations remain part of its ongoing humanitarian efforts to support the wounded and the sick, particularly as Gaza’s healthcare system faces extreme pressure.
WHO vehicles accompanied the buses carrying patients and their companions to the crossing.
Rafah was reopened on March 19 under tight restrictions after a closure of nearly 20 days following the outbreak of the US Israeli war on Iran.
Since reopening, travelers have reported harsh Israeli treatment, including prolonged interrogations and temporary detention before being allowed to proceed.
On Sunday, Israeli forces detained a Palestinian returning to Gaza via Rafah, marking the first such arrest since operations resumed at the crossing, which Israel had seized in May 2024.
Local estimates indicate that around 22,000 patients and wounded individuals in Gaza require urgent treatment abroad, amid a near collapse of the enclave’s healthcare system.
Before the war, hundreds of Palestinians crossed daily between Gaza and Egypt through Rafah in a routine movement managed by local authorities and Egypt, without Israeli interference.
Although Israel was expected to reopen the crossing during the first phase of the ceasefire that began in October 2025, it has not fully adhered to those terms.
The Israeli war of genocide on Gaza, backed by the United States, has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, injured around 172,000, and destroyed about 90 percent of civilian infrastructure over nearly two years.
