Medical Evacuation Obstacle in Gaza Continues for Two Weeks
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that Israel's closure of the Rafah Border Crossing prevents patients from going abroad, deepening the crisis.
In a statement made by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, it was announced that Israel has been preventing the evacuation of patients and the injured for treatment abroad by keeping the Rafah Border Crossing closed for two weeks.
Evacuation Obstacle and International Law
In the statement issued by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, it was stated that Israel kept the Rafah Border Crossing closed for the second consecutive week, preventing the evacuation of patients and the injured for treatment abroad.
Emphasizing that Israel violates international humanitarian law with this stance, the statement noted that Palestinian patients and the injured are deliberately deprived of their fundamental right to treatment.
Critical Cases and Increasing Risks
While warnings were issued regarding the dangerous and rapidly increasing rise in critical cases due to the prevention of evacuation, it was stated that the condition of patients on waiting lists worsens day by day.
Assessments reported that this situation exceeds the capacity of the devastated and besieged hospitals, even surpassing their ability to provide minimal levels of treatment.
Call for Opening Border Crossings
Authorities called for pressure on Israel to open all border crossings, primarily the Rafah Border Crossing, and to ensure the departure of patients and the injured whose lives are in danger out of the region.
Dr. Mohammed Abu Afesh, the Director of Medical Aid in the Gaza Strip, had previously stated that thousands of people lost their lives while waiting for treatment due to Israel's restrictions, and thousands of others are in need of evacuation.
Challenges Faced by the Health Sector
While the health sector remains one of the hardest-hit areas in the Gaza Strip under the blockade of the Israeli army, the region—where the number of injured has exceeded 175,000—also hosts chronic patients and cases of limb loss.
The targeting of hospitals rendering them out of service, along with restrictions on the entry of medical supplies and the fuel necessary for generators, severely disrupts healthcare services.