Israel Blocks 17,000 Patients in Gaza Strip from Receiving Medical Treatment Abroad
Gaza City - The Gaza Ministry of Health on Tuesday announced that Israeli authorities had prevented the departure of more than 17,000 Palestinians for medical treatment abroad, warning that the death toll could rise among patients waiting for treatment.
"The number of medical referrals recorded has reached 17,757 as of May 20," Acting Deputy Health Minister Maher Shamiya said at a press conference at the Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, Anadolu (10/6) reported.
Shamiya further said that only 3,226 people managed to leave Gaza through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom (Karam Abu Salem) crossings, including 1,204 patients.
Gaza's health sector suffered widespread collapse after the two-year Israeli war, which has caused massive damage to hospitals and health infrastructure, as well as severe shortages of medicines, fuel and medical supplies.
Previously, the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt was partially reopened in February, as part of the first phase of a US-sponsored ceasefire agreement, after being closed for 20 months following the takeover of the terminal by the Israeli army in May 2024.
The crossing was closed again in late February following the outbreak of war with Iran, before limited operations resumed in March and April.
The crossing has been operating at a very limited capacity for pedestrians since May 21, allowing dozens of patients, the wounded, and humanitarian cases to pass each day under strict Israeli supervision, while thousands of cases remain trapped inside Gaza waiting to travel.
Shamiya said the wide gap between the number of patients in need of treatment and those allowed to leave reflected a "dangerous humanitarian gap," exacerbating patients' suffering and increasing daily deaths among them.
"Israel bears the main responsibility for this crisis," Shamiya said, pointing to long security screening procedures and reduced travel days through the crossing as the cause of the sharp decline in departures.
Travel through the Rafah land border with Egypt is now limited to a maximum of three days a week, while only one day is allocated for medical evacuations to Egypt through the Kerem Shalom border with Israel, Shamiya said.
"These measures reflect a systematic policy to obstruct patients' access to specialized health services outside the Gaza Strip," he explained.
"Rehabilitating and equipping Gaza's hospitals and health facilities will reduce the need to refer a large number of patients for treatment outside the region," he added.
It is known that Israel has blockaded the Gaza Strip since 2007. Around 1.5 million Palestinians from about 2.4 million residents in the area are now homeless in terrible conditions after the genocidal war destroyed their homes.
Separately, medical sources in the Gaza Strip said on Tuesday that the number of deaths from Israeli attacks had risen to 72,988, with 173,205 people injured since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, quoted from WAFA.
It added that the total number of Palestinians killed since the ceasefire was announced on October 11 last year has reached 978, while the number of injured has increased to 3,097. In addition, 782 bodies have been found from various locations.
Medical officials noted that a number of victims were still trapped under the rubble and on the road, while rescue teams continued to face serious difficulties to reach the affected areas.