On February 1, 2025, the Rafah border crossing, closed for nearly nine months due to the conflict, reopened to enable medical evacuations from Gaza to Egypt, marking a significant development in the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Under the cease-fire agreement established between Israel and Hamas, only 50 of the thousands of ailing individuals needing urgent care were permitted to leave on this inaugural day. Medical personnel were seen transferring patients via ambulance, as Egyptian state media broadcasted the event.
Wounded Gazans Begin Evacuating to Egypt as Rafah Crossing Reopens
Wounded Gazans Begin Evacuating to Egypt as Rafah Crossing Reopens
As part of a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the Rafah border crossing opens for the first time in nine months, allowing sick and wounded Gazans access to medical treatment.
The border point had been shut down following Israel's military operation in Rafah last May, severely impacting the Gaza health system, already on the verge of collapse. Hospitals, such as Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, suffered extensive damage during the conflict, exacerbating the dire need for medical evacuations. Israeli authorities accused Hamas of exploiting medical facilities for military purposes but received denials from Hamas regarding these allegations.
The cease-fire arrangement permits the exit of 50 wounded militants daily, contingent on Israeli and Egyptian approval, while also promising the gradual easing of restrictions on goods and trade through Rafah. However, the timeline for these changes remains unspecified. The top World Health Organization official for Gaza reported that more than 12,000 individuals require medical treatment outside the strip for severe conditions.
Previously, Hamas was in charge of overseeing crossings, but a new security arrangement now involves Egypt and the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. Despite calls for a greater role for the Palestinian Authority in postwar Gaza, Israeli officials have indicated that Israel would maintain significant control over the border, underscoring the complexities surrounding the conflict's resolution.
Summary: The Rafah border crossing opens for medical evacuations from Gaza to Egypt under a cease-fire agreement, allowing only a fraction of those in need to leave, amid ongoing discussions involving Israel, Hamas, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority.
The cease-fire arrangement permits the exit of 50 wounded militants daily, contingent on Israeli and Egyptian approval, while also promising the gradual easing of restrictions on goods and trade through Rafah. However, the timeline for these changes remains unspecified. The top World Health Organization official for Gaza reported that more than 12,000 individuals require medical treatment outside the strip for severe conditions.
Previously, Hamas was in charge of overseeing crossings, but a new security arrangement now involves Egypt and the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. Despite calls for a greater role for the Palestinian Authority in postwar Gaza, Israeli officials have indicated that Israel would maintain significant control over the border, underscoring the complexities surrounding the conflict's resolution.
Summary: The Rafah border crossing opens for medical evacuations from Gaza to Egypt under a cease-fire agreement, allowing only a fraction of those in need to leave, amid ongoing discussions involving Israel, Hamas, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority.
