The health crisis in the Gaza Strip continues to worsen as thousands of patients and wounded individuals remain on waiting lists, while travel for treatment outside the territory has become an additional ordeal rather than a lifeline.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced in recent hours that more than 20,000 patients and injured individuals are awaiting permission to leave the Strip for medical treatment. This comes amid the partial and restricted operation of the Rafah Crossing, after Israeli authorities reopened the Palestinian side in a limited capacity on February 2, following its control over the crossing since May 2024.

In a statement, the ministry affirmed that Israel’s continued full closure of the crossing and its limited partial operation “do not match the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe.” It noted that health conditions are deteriorating rapidly as the number of critical cases increases, particularly among cancer patients and those suffering from heart disease and kidney failure, in addition to severe injuries requiring advanced surgical interventions unavailable inside the Strip due to the blockade and repeated targeting of the healthcare system.

According to the statement, the number of people permitted to travel daily remains extremely limited and does not correspond to the scale of accumulated needs, stressing that the current mechanism falls short of the minimum humanitarian obligations toward patients and the wounded.

“Testimonies of Harassment and Compounded Suffering”
The suffering has not been limited to prolonged waiting. The ministry reported receiving “harsh and painful testimonies” from patients and wounded individuals who managed to travel abroad for treatment. They described restrictive procedures and complications deemed unjustified, which compounded their psychological and physical suffering under already severe medical conditions.

On February 5, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory stated that it had received accounts from individuals returning through the crossing who said they were taken after crossing to an Israeli military checkpoint, where some were reportedly handcuffed, blindfolded, searched, threatened, and had their belongings confiscated.

In light of these testimonies, two Israeli human rights organizations—Adalah and Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement—called for an end to what they described as a “policy of abuse and unlawful restrictions” imposed on Palestinians from Gaza seeking to return via the Rafah Crossing, arguing that such measures amount to “forcible transfer.”

“Lives Suspended at a Closed Gate”
The Ministry of Health believes that maintaining the restricted mechanism at the crossing threatens the lives of thousands of patients and exacerbates the deteriorating health and humanitarian situation. It called for the crossing to be opened permanently and regularly to ensure that patients and the wounded can travel without restrictions or delays, for the urgent evacuation of critical cases, and for increasing the number of travelers in proportion to the accumulated medical needs.

The ministry also appealed to international and humanitarian bodies to intervene urgently to guarantee patients’ right to treatment and travel, considering it a right protected under international laws and conventions.

Semi-official data indicate that around 80,000 Palestinians have registered to return to Gaza, reflecting residents’ determination to remain or return despite the widespread destruction.

Before the outbreak of the most recent Israeli war of extermination, hundreds of Palestinians used to leave the Strip daily through the Rafah Crossing to Egypt, while others returned in a routine movement coordinated between the competent authorities in Gaza and the Egyptian side, without direct Israeli intervention.

The crossing was supposed to reopen as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that entered into force on October 10, 2025. However, its reopening has remained limited, and ongoing Israeli violations have left thousands of patients stranded between pain and waiting, turning medical treatment into a deferred hope at a gate that opens only at the bare minimum.