Israeli forces opened fire on ambulances carrying Palestinian patients near the Rafah crossing, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said, delaying medical evacuations from Gaza.
Israeli tanks opened fire on ambulances carrying Palestinian patients set to be evacuated from the Gaza Strip for medical attention abroad, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said on Tuesday, according to the Anadolu news agency.
A New Crime..
The Palestinian Red Crescent has announced that Israeli occupation tanks recently intercepted the organization’s ambulances while they were transporting patients scheduled for evacuation abroad for treatment via the Rafah crossing, in coordination with the World…
— Mahmoud Bassam محمود بسام (@Mahmoud_Bassam8) March 4, 2025
In a brief statement, the organization reportedly said the ambulances came under Israeli fire near the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza as patients were being transported in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO).
It said the ambulances were still waiting for permission to proceed.
According to the ceasefire agreement which came into effect on January 19, a total of 50 patients per day are to be medically evacuated through Gaza’s Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt.
Closed since May 2024 when Israel’s ground offensive began in the south, the Rafah crossing is a vital crossing for humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Children Evacuated to Jordan
On Tuesday, 29 child patients were evacuated from Gaza to Jordan “for specialized medical treatment, with 43 companions,” the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, said on X.
Today, 29 child patients were evacuated from #Gaza to Jordan for specialized medical treatment, with 43 companions. Most of the children are in need of trauma, cancer and ophthalmological care.
This was the first @WHO-supported medical evacuation to #Jordan since the ceasefire.… pic.twitter.com/KWKuuGxhtE
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 4, 2025
“Most of the children are in need of trauma, cancer and ophthalmological care. This was the first WHO-supported medical evacuation to Jordan since the ceasefire,” he added.
The WHO chief noted that approximately 12,000 to 14,000 people still require medical evacuation.
“WHO continues to call for increased approvals through all possible routes, including the restoration of medical referrals to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” he emphasized.
Staggering Death Toll
Over 48,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 111,000 others injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza that began in October 2023. The onslaught, which has left the enclave in ruins, was paused under the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement last month.
Israel Withdraws from Rafah Crossing – 50 Patients Evacuated Daily
Despite the ceasefire, the Gaza local authorities have reported almost daily ceasefire violations by the Israeli army.
The first group of Palestinian patients and wounded left Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Egypt’s border on February 1.
(Anadolu, PC)
