Gaza says Israel is blocking medical evacuations for more than 16,500 patients

Gaza's Health Ministry says more than 16,500 Palestinians in need of treatment abroad are being prevented from leaving the enclave, as restrictions continue on the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem crossings. The ministry said the limits are worsening an already severe health crisis in Gaza, where many hospitals and clinics have been damaged during the war. It said the situation is leaving patients with conditions that cannot be treated locally waiting for permission to travel.

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The ministry said on Tuesday that Palestinians are currently being allowed to use the Rafah crossing only three days a week. It also said medical evacuations are being permitted for just one day a week at Karem Abu Salem, the crossing that connects Gaza to Israel. Maher Shamia, the acting undersecretary of the ministry, said the closure of Rafah was the main reason patients were unable to leave, and accused Israel of bearing full responsibility for the crisis.

The ministry said delays were contributing to patient deaths, although it did not give a separate figure for how many people had died because of the restrictions. It also said many of the patients could be treated inside Gaza if the territory's health system were rebuilt and made functional again. The statement called on human rights organisations to pressure Israel to allow freer movement in and out of the enclave.

The issue matters because access to medical evacuation is one of the few remaining routes for patients in Gaza who need specialist care unavailable locally. The restrictions also underline how tightly movement in and out of the territory remains controlled, despite the nominal ceasefire that Gaza authorities say has been in place since October last year. The case adds to wider concerns about the collapse of Gaza's health infrastructure and the humanitarian strain on the population.

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According to the ministry, the Rafah crossing was partially reopened at the beginning of February after nearly two years of closure, but it has since been shut several times. Gaza authorities say the limited openings have not been enough to meet medical needs. The ministry also said the broader health sector has been systematically destroyed, making it harder to treat patients inside the territory and increasing dependence on external evacuation.

What remains unclear is how many of the 16,500 patients are in urgent condition, and how quickly any additional evacuations might be approved. It is also not clear whether the current crossing arrangements will change in the coming days. The next developments to watch are any further statements from Gaza's Health Ministry, changes to crossing access, and whether outside pressure leads to a wider medical evacuation process.

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