Gaza Health Ministry Urges International Community To Speed Medical Evacuations Via Rafah Crossing

Gaza’s Ministry of Health urged the international community to intervene to accelerate medical evacuations for thousands of patients and wounded, warning that permitting only a very small number to leave is not in line with the scale of urgent medical needs amid the nearly complete collapse of the health system.

“The Israeli army continues its deadly siege of the Palestinian enclave, while carrying out attacks nearly every day”

Agence Media Palestine

The ministry said Tuesday saw only 29 patients depart via the Rafah border crossing, while 20 more patients were able to proceed to Jordanian hospitals last Monday, as waiting lists crowded with thousands of critical cases requiring surgical interventions and specialized treatments unavailable inside the besieged sector.

Agence Media Palestine

Official statistics cited by the ministry said only about 700 patients have been able to leave the sector since the crossing reopened partially, while Palestinian Red Crescent sources said more than 18,000 wounded and sick are still waiting for their turn on medical-evacuation lists amid strict restrictions.

The Rafah crossing has been under Israeli control since May 2024 and was reopened in February of last year in a highly limited manner under complex security procedures, with the ministry saying these restrictions prevented the flow of adequate medical aid or the timely exit of humanitarian cases to save lives.

The ministry renewed its call for international and human rights organizations to press the occupying authorities to lift restrictions on the Rafah crossing and ensure the wounded can go abroad for treatment before it is too late.

TRT عربي reported that the Ministry of Health said allowing only a limited number of departures does not meet urgent needs, noting that only 29 patients were able to depart on Tuesday via Rafah while 20 patients left on Monday toward hospitals in Jordan.

TRT عربي also cited Raed al-Nems, spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, saying that since the border crossing reopened around 700 patients have left the Gaza Strip to seek treatment abroad while more than 18,000 patients and wounded people are still awaiting medical evacuation.

TRT Arabi

The ministry said patients are transported via the King Hussein Bridge to Jordan for treatment, and TRT عربي added that since Rafah’s reopening, returnees to Gaza report Israeli abuses involving detention and harsh questioning lasting hours before being allowed to continue toward the Strip.

TRT عربي tied the current evacuation crisis to Israel’s failure to reopen Rafah as scheduled, saying Israel was supposed to reopen the crossing in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, 2025, but it reneged on that.

In a separate account, the Ministry of Health said in a statement that “the small numbers of patients leaving do not meet the urgent travel needs” of those on the lists suffering under harsh health and humanitarian conditions as the sector’s health crisis deepens.

Al-Risala نت described Walid Jaber waiting in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, after doctors confirmed he needed specialized medical interventions not available locally and he received a referral more than nine months ago but “to date he has not received his right to treatment.”

“Cabinet reiterates call for the immediate medical evacuation of more than 20,000 injured Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, who are being denied medical treatment Establishes a task force to address landfill-related problems across all governorates Approves the replacement of paper health insurance cards with smart cards as part of a broader plan to develop the health sector RAMALLAH, June 23, 2026 (WAFA) — The Palestinian Cabinet on Tuesday renewed its call on the international community to exert greater pressure on Israel to facilitate the immediate medical evacuation of more than 20,000 injured persons from the Gaza Strip for treatment abroad, underscoring that they continue to be denied medical treatment due to the destruction of most healthcare facilities and the severe restrictions imposed on the entry of medicines and medical supplies”

WAFA Agency

The same report said Walid’s case mirrors thousands of wounded and ill people stuck between urgent need for treatment and travel and evacuation restrictions, warning that “for every day of delay for them means not only ongoing pain but may also mean the loss of a body part.”

Al-Risala نت also reported that UN statistics from the World Health Organization put the number of patients needing medical evacuation from Gaza at more than 15,800, including thousands of children whose conditions require rapid intervention to save their lives or prevent permanent disabilities.

In a separate Gaza Health Ministry account, Agence Media Palestine said Zaher al-Wahidi, spokesman for the Gaza Health Ministry, stated that 1,360 patients have died while waiting to go abroad for medical treatment since May 7, 2024, when Rafah crossing, Gaza’s only gateway to the outside world, was closed by Israel.

Agence Media Palestine further reported that the partial reopening at the beginning of the month allowed passage for only a tiny fraction of patients needing evacuation, while it described ongoing Israeli attacks and a siege that continues to prevent urgent medical evacuation of Palestinians in need.