Israel Halts Gaza Patient Exits for Second Day Citing Holidays

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that Israel prevented Palestinian patients and wounded people from traveling abroad for treatment on Monday. This marked the second consecutive day of such restrictions due to Jewish holidays affecting border operations in the southern enclave.

Yoram Halevi, Israel’s coordinator of government activities in the Palestinian territories, confirmed the closures. He stated that both the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings in southern Gaza remained shut on Sunday and Monday because of the ongoing Jewish holiday observances.

These latest closures followed a significant reduction in allowed departures earlier in the week. On Thursday, Israeli authorities cut the number of patients, wounded individuals, and their companions scheduled to leave Gaza for treatment in Egypt from 136 down to just 61 Palestinians.

The ministry called on the World Health Organization and the UN humanitarian chief to intervene immediately. It urged these international bodies to exert direct pressure on Israeli authorities to end what it described as arbitrary conditions imposed on sick and injured civilians.

Official figures indicate that more than thirteen thousand patients have left the strip since October 2023. This total includes over six thousand children and roughly sixteen thousand companions who were evacuated during this period of intense conflict and humanitarian crisis.

Despite these evacuations, an earlier Health Ministry statement indicated that 20,719 patients and wounded people remain on the waiting list to leave Gaza for treatment. The partial reopening of Rafah in February and later use of Kerem Shalom have not alleviated the severe bottleneck.