A group of 50 sick and wounded Palestinian children began crossing into Egypt for medical treatment via Gaza’s Rafah crossing on Saturday, marking the first reopening of the border since Israel seized control nearly nine months ago.
The reopening is a major step forward in reinforcing the ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month between Israel and Hamas. Israel agreed to reopen the crossing following Hamas’ release of the last living female hostages in Gaza.
Egyptian television broadcast footage of a Palestinian Red Cross ambulance arriving at the crossing, where several sick and injured children were carried out on stretchers and transferred to ambulances on the Egyptian side. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, approximately 60 family members are accompanying the children.
These sick children are the first of what is expected to be a series of medical evacuations for Palestinians in need of treatment abroad. Israel’s military campaign against Hamas, launched in retaliation for the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, has devastated Gaza’s healthcare system, leaving most hospitals nonfunctional. Medical services have been severely disrupted even as tens of thousands of Palestinians have been wounded by Israeli airstrikes and ground offensives.
Mohammed Zaqout, director of hospitals in Gaza’s Health Ministry, stated that over 6,000 patients are awaiting evacuation abroad, while more than 12,000 require urgent medical care. He emphasized that the limited number of evacuations so far is insufficient and urged for an increase.
Rafah, the only Gaza crossing that does not lead into Israel, was shut down in early May when Israeli forces captured it during an operation in southern Gaza. Egypt subsequently closed its side of the passage in protest.
Even before the war, Rafah served as a critical exit point for Gazans, particularly for those seeking medical treatment unavailable within the territory. An Israeli-Egyptian blockade aimed at restricting Hamas has severely weakened Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure for the past 15 years. Palestinians have long required special permission to leave for life-saving treatments such as chemotherapy.
Reopening the crossing required extensive diplomatic efforts to resolve security concerns between Israeli, Egyptian, and Palestinian officials. Hamas had controlled the border since 2007 after taking over Gaza from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority (PA) following its 2006 parliamentary election victory.
The management of the crossing remains a sensitive issue. Israel has accused Hamas of using its control over the border to smuggle weapons, a claim denied by Egypt. Israel has also opposed allowing the PA to officially take charge of the crossing.
Instead, Palestinians from Gaza who previously worked as border officers under the PA will staff the crossing, though they will not be permitted to wear PA insignia, according to a European diplomat speaking anonymously. Israel has vetted these officers to ensure they have no Hamas affiliations.
Additionally, European Union monitors will be present, as they were before 2007.
Negotiations on the next phase of the ceasefire agreement—focusing on a permanent truce, Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of remaining hostages—are set to begin on Monday. However, Israel remains opposed to the idea of the PA assuming control over postwar Gaza.
