Israeli ocuupation forces on Thursday allowed a small number of wounded Palestinians and their companions to leave the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing into Egypt for medical treatment abroad, marking the first such departures since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran nearly three weeks ago.
Only eight wounded individuals and 17 companions were granted security clearance to travel, according to a source in the Palestinian Red Crescent Society who spoke to Al Manassa on condition of anonymity. The group was transported from Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, to Rafah by bus and ambulances, escorted by World Health Organization (WHO) vehicles.
The crossing had been closed by Israeli occupation forces at the end of February, following the start of the war on Iran, with authorities citing security concerns. The closure came less than a month after Rafah had briefly reopened in both directions as the second phase of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel started.
Israel continues to impose strict security restrictions on travel from Gaza, including for the wounded and critically ill. Patients must first obtain Israeli security approval before being allowed to travel under WHO coordination — the only entity permitted to cross the “yellow line” east of Khan Younis, which separates Israeli-controlled areas from zones where more than two million Palestinians are concentrated, most of them displaced and unable to return to their homes.
WHO vehicles travel along Salah Al-Din Road, bypassing eastern Rafah, which remains fully under Israeli control, to reach the Rafah crossing. The crossing is operated by a European Union mission, while the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) oversees the return of travelers into Gaza, transporting them by bus from the crossing gate to Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. The process is coordinated with Israeli forces, and returnees are subjected to inspection and interrogation at the “Regevim” checkpoint, located just meters from the Palestinian side of the crossing.
A source familiar with the return operations told Al Manassa that 21 Palestinians are expected to cross from Egypt back into Gaza later Thursday evening, after waiting hours for Israeli approvals since the previous day.
Deadly strikes continue
Separately, Israeli air attacks and ceasefire violations continued across Gaza on Thursday.
Four people were killed and seven others wounded in two separate strikes east of Gaza City, according to a medical source at the Ministry of Health who spoke to Al Manassa. The casualties were brought to Al-Shifa Medical Complex in western Gaza.
In the first attack, an Israeli drone struck a group of civilians near Al-Shawa Square in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, killing two young men and injuring others, a witness said. The strike directly targeted the group in the middle of the street, killing the two immediately and leaving their bodies in pieces, which were later transported to the hospital.
A second drone strike followed shortly after, targeting another group of young men on Kashko Street in the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, killing two more and wounding others.
A witness to the second strike said Israeli forces stationed east of the neighborhood have, for several days, been firing live ammunition and artillery shells toward displacement tents and what remains of homes, particularly at night, posing a constant threat to families in the area.
“After hours of shelling until dawn today, a group of young men was struck in the middle of the street without warning,” the witness said. “We carried them in pieces, along with passersby who were wounded by shrapnel while simply walking down the street.”
The Gaza Government Media Office said Israeli forces have violated the ceasefire agreement 2,073 times since October, resulting in more than 700 deaths and around 1,800 injuries. Some of the wounded are in critical condition and require treatment abroad, according to a statement reviewed by Al Manassa.
