RAFAH CROSSING, Egypt — A bunch of fifty sick and wounded Palestinian kids started crossing to Egypt for therapy via Gaza’s Rafah crossing on Saturday, the primary opening of the border since Israel captured it almost 9 months in the past.
The reopening of the Rafah crossing represents a major breakthrough that bolsters the ceasefire deal Israel and Hamas agreed final month. Israel agreed to reopen the crossing after Hamas launched the final residing feminine hostages in Gaza.
Egypt’s Al-Qahera tv confirmed not less than two Palestinian Pink Cross ambulances pulling as much as the crossing gate. A number of kids have been introduced out on gurneys and transferred to ambulances on the Egyptian aspect. From there, they have been rushed to hospitals within the close by Egyptian metropolis of el-Arish and elsewhere. Footage confirmed one younger lady whose foot had been amputated.
Zaher al-Wahidi, an official with Gaza’s Well being Ministry, mentioned 37 of the youngsters had crossed into Egypt by Saturday night.
The Well being Ministry mentioned round 60 relations have been accompanying the youngsters.
The kids are the primary in what are supposed to be common evacuations of Palestinians via the crossing for therapy overseas.
Over the previous 15 months, Israel’s marketing campaign in opposition to Hamas in retaliation for the militants’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel has decimated Gaza’s well being sector, leaving most of its hospitals out of operation at the same time as greater than 110,000 Palestinians have been wounded by Israel’s bombardment and floor offensives, based on the Palestinian Well being Ministry.
Remaining services are unable to carry out many essential therapies or specialised surgical procedures for wounds or ailments. Mohammed Zaqout, the director of hospitals in Gaza’s Well being Ministry, mentioned greater than 6,000 sufferers have been able to be evacuated overseas, and greater than 12,000 sufferers have been in pressing want of therapy. He mentioned the small numbers set to be evacuated is not going to cowl the necessity, “and we hope the quantity will improve.”
Rafah is Gaza’s solely crossing that doesn’t enter into Israel. Israeli forces closed the crossing in early Could after seizing it throughout an offensive on the southern metropolis. Egypt shut down its aspect of the passage in protest.
Even earlier than the Gaza conflict started, the Rafah crossing represented a vital escape valve from the territory, the place a 15-year Israeli-Egyptian blockade geared toward containing Hamas undermined well being services and impoverished the inhabitants. Palestinians routinely utilized for permission to journey exterior the territory for lifesaving therapies not out there in Gaza, together with chemotherapy.
It took some diplomatic gymnastics to reopen the crossing and overcome safety disputes between Israeli, Egyptian and Palestinian officers. Hamas had overseen the border since 2007, when it took management of Gaza from its rival, the internationally acknowledged Palestinian Authority, or PA, after profitable parliamentary elections in 2006.
Israeli troops stay on the Rafah crossing and within the Philadelphia Hall, a band of land operating the size of the border. Israel has refused to permit Hamas to renew administration of the crossing, accusing it of smuggling weapons via tunnels underneath the border, although Egypt says it destroyed the tunnels from its aspect and stopped smuggling years in the past. Israel additionally refuses to permit the Palestinian Authority to formally run the crossing.
As an alternative, the crossing will probably be staffed by Palestinians from Gaza who beforehand served as border officers with the PA, however they won’t be allowed to put on official PA insignia, a European diplomat mentioned, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of the official was not licensed to temporary the media. Israel has screened the officers to make sure they don’t have any affiliation with Hamas, the European diplomat added.
European Union screens may even be current, as they have been earlier than 2007.
Negotiations on the second part of the deal — which requires a everlasting ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the discharge of any remaining hostages — are supposed to start Monday. Israel has resisted the notion that the PA would management postwar Gaza.