The Rafah border crossing has opened for the primary time in almost 9 months to permit sick and wounded Palestinian sufferers in Gaza to journey to Egypt for medical remedy overseas.
Gaza’s Well being Ministry on Saturday stated a gaggle of fifty sufferers, accompanied by 61 caregivers, crossed from Rafah to succeed in Egypt.
Egyptian tv confirmed Palestinian Purple Cross ambulances pulling as much as the crossing gate, and several other kids being introduced out on stretchers and transferred to ambulances on the Egyptian facet.
Most of the sufferers are affected by persistent ailments, together with most cancers, and have been unable to get remedy throughout Israel’s 15-month battle.
A complete of 400 Palestinians will likely be allowed to go away Gaza as a part of a ceasefire settlement between Hamas and Israel on January 19.
The reopening of the Rafah crossing represents a big breakthrough that bolsters the deal. Israel agreed to reopen the crossing after Hamas launched the final residing feminine captives in Gaza.
The opening of the important thing border crossing additionally got here on the heels of Hamas releasing three Israeli captives in Gaza earlier on Saturday in alternate for greater than 180 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
‘Hope the quantity will improve’
Mohammed Zaqout, director of hospitals in Gaza’s Well being Ministry, stated greater than 6,000 Palestinian sufferers had been able to be evacuated overseas, and not less than 12,000 sufferers had been in pressing want of remedy.
He stated the small numbers set to be evacuated is not going to cowl the necessity, “and we hope the quantity will improve”.
Arwa Damon, founding father of the Worldwide Community for Assist, Aid and Help (INARA), described to Al Jazeera the “laborious” course of to take about 2,500 Palestinian kids requiring lifesaving medical care out of Gaza.
She stated a toddler’s dad and mom or guardians apply for a medical evacuation. Then the Well being Ministry in Gaza evaluations the instances and places the sufferers into classes relying on urgency.
“Then there’s a complete coordination effort that has to occur with Israel clearing each single one of many names that’s requesting to be evacuated,” Damon added.
“After which, you want the entire mechanism which is coordinated with the WHO to truly get the kids out of Gaza after which on to whichever third nation has agreed to obtain them for medical remedy.”
Damon stated this “has all the time been terribly painful” and a “very gradual” course of that “fairly merely has did not get medical remedy for all those that want it”.
In Israel’s 15-month genocide on the enclave following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault, Gaza’s well being sector has been decimated, leaving most hospitals out of operation.
Tens of hundreds of Palestinians wounded by Israel’s bombardment and floor offensives have been struggling on account of a scarcity of correct medical care.
Israeli forces closed the Rafah crossing in Could 2024 after seizing it. Egypt adopted go well with by shutting down its facet of the passage in protest.
Even previous to the Gaza battle, Palestinians relied on the crossing closely, routinely making use of for permission to journey exterior the territory for lifesaving therapies not out there within the enclave, together with chemotherapy.
Administration of the crossing has been mired with complexities.
Israel has lengthy accused Hamas of utilizing its management of the border to smuggle weapons – a declare Egypt has denied. Israel has additionally refused to permit the Palestinian Authority (PA) to formally take over the administration of the crossing.
As a substitute, the crossing will likely be staffed by Palestinians from Gaza who beforehand served as border officers with the PA, however they won’t be allowed to put on official PA insignia, a European diplomat advised The Related Press information company, on situation of anonymity.
Displays from the European Union will even be current, as they had been earlier than 2007.
“It should help Palestinian border personnel and permit the switch of people out of Gaza, together with those that want medical care,” EU overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X, referring to its monitoring mission on the crossing.
