"With only five Palestinians in need of medical evacuation from Gaza permitted to leave through the Rafah crossing after it reopened on Monday, health authorities in the exclave warned that the restrictions Israel is continuing to impose at the crossing could ultimately kill thousands of Palestinians who have been waiting for years for treatment as Israeli attacks have decimated Gaza's health system."
"About 20,000 patients in Gaza are awaiting medical evacuation, including about 440 people whose cases are critical and need immediate treatment. Egyptian officials had said before the crossing reopened that 50 people were expected to cross from Gaza into Egypt per day, but al-Wahidi said that if the rate of crossing on Monday continues, "we would need years to evacuate all of these patients, by which time all of them could lose their lives while waiting for an opportunity to leave.""
Rafah crossing reopened but only five Palestinians in need of medical evacuation were permitted to leave on Monday. About 20,000 patients in Gaza await evacuation, including roughly 440 critical cases requiring immediate treatment. Egyptian officials had anticipated 50 people crossing per day, but current departures would require years to evacuate all patients. Israeli authorities conduct an intensive screening process: Palestinians register with Egyptian authorities, whose lists go to Israel's Shin Bet for approval; travellers then pass a checkpoint run by the Palestinian Authority and European Union before Israeli officers use facial recognition to identify those leaving. Gaza's health system remains decimated, risking many lives.
Read at Truthout
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]