Fifth Batch of Gaza Wounded Depart via Rafah Crossing for Treatment Abroad

The fifth batch of wounded and sick individuals from the Gaza Strip departed today, Sunday, via the Rafah land crossing, heading to the Arab Republic of Egypt to receive necessary medical treatment. This batch includes 44 critical Palestinian cases requiring medical intervention unavailable within the Strip due to the deterioration of the healthcare system.

The transfer of the injured took place after they were gathered at the headquarters of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Khan Yunis city, south of the Strip, where they were accompanied by World Health Organization teams to ensure their safety during the journey. This step comes amid an urgent need for thousands of wounded to travel after two years of continuous war.

Coinciding with the departure of the wounded, field sources reported the arrival of a group of returning Palestinians to the Egyptian side of the crossing to complete their entry procedures into Gaza. The sources confirmed a state of high alert at the border facility to facilitate the movement of travelers and injured individuals coming from various areas of the Strip.

Regarding technical commitments, reports revealed that the Israeli occupation authorities have not adhered to the agreed-upon agreement for operating the crossing, which stipulates allowing 150 people to depart and 50 others to return daily. Data indicated that the occupation is imposing technical and security obstacles that prevent the full implementation of these understandings.

A recent Palestinian statistic showed that the number of departures over the past four days did not exceed 138 people, while only 77 Palestinians were allowed to return to their homes. These figures reflect a significant gap between what was agreed upon and the reality on the ground imposed by the occupation army at the crossing.

The occupation army had abruptly closed the crossing last Friday and Saturday without providing any official justifications, leading to a backlog of travelers. Returnees also reported harsh testimonies about being subjected to field interrogations and deliberate insults while passing through Salah al-Din Street and on the Palestinian side of the crossing.

It is worth noting that the Rafah crossing resumed its activity on February 2nd, marking the first time the crossing has operated regularly in nearly two years. This operation comes as part of the second phase of US President Donald Trump's plan concerning the Gaza Strip, which was announced in mid-January.

These developments come at a time when Gaza is still recovering from a genocidal war that began in October 2023, resulting in the martyrdom of approximately 72,000 Palestinians and the injury of 171,000 others. Military operations also caused near-total destruction of infrastructure and civilian facilities in various governorates of the Strip.

The occupation did not adhere to the agreement for operating the Rafah crossing, which stipulated allowing 150 Palestinians to travel daily.