First Palestinians reach Gaza through reopened Rafah crossing
A bus carrying 12 Palestinians, the first to enter Gaza through Egypt in nearly 18 months, has completed the crossing. The number of people reported to be allowed by Israel to enter Gaza per day via Rafah was 50.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud says the low number of people who successfully entered shows the challenges posed by Israel’s intense security screening process.
MSF: Palestinians continue to be wounded by Israel
MSF teams across Gaza received seven patients, including two children, wounded by Israeli attacks in the last three days alone, the medical NGO has said in a post on X
Israel says it will terminate the operations of MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, in Gaza after the group failed to provide a list of its Palestinian staff, further depriving Palestinians in the besieged enclave of life-saving assistance.
“On top of treating these violence-related injuries, every week in Gaza we provide vital medical care – supporting 1 in 5 hospital beds in Gaza, 1 in 3 mothers during childbirth, and the daily water needs of 30 percent of people”, MSF wrote.
‘Rafah crossing opening won’t improve things for Palestinians patients in Gaza’
Moureen Kaki, head of the Gaza mission for the international medical NGO Glia, says the situation continues to be dire for the thousands of people who need medical care in the enclave.
“The fact that the Rafah crossing is opening does not mean that there will be more medical supplies or equipment brought in,” she told Al Jazeera from Khan Younis. “This effectively does very little to change circumstances for patients on the ground here in Gaza.”
Only five people desperately in need of medical care managed to leave the Gaza Strip today under Israel’s restrictions, out of about 20,000 who need to be evacuated.
“We have no information and no promises from the Israelis” as to when the designated number of Palestinian patients, which has been set at 50 per day, will be allowed to exit for treatment, she said.
Kaki, who facilitates the entry of international medical delegations into Gaza, said she also doesn’t see the opening of the Rafah crossing helping to increase the presence of international medical and humanitarian communities there.
“There’s currently a 40 percent denial rate” by Israel for the entry of delegates, she said. “Delegates have been denied for carrying something as minimal as a stethoscope.”
Reopening of Rafah crossing ‘too little, too late’
The director of Medical Aid for Palestinians, Steve Cutts, says the opening of the Rafah crossing was “too little, too late” as at least 11 Palestinian children have died so far this winter because of a lack of shelter, while thousands of Palestinians remain in dire need of medical aid or evacuation.
“There needs to be full access for aid and NGOs. Israel has got to stop these artificial restrictions on the provision of aid,” Cutts told Al Jazeera.
“Israel needs to open not just the Rafah crossing, but all crossings in Gaza,” he said. “There needs to be unrestricted access of aid, because without that, you’re going to have a growing number of people in need … and more people dying.”
