GAZA, (PIC)
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have fully closed the Rafah land crossing in southern Gaza, halting the evacuation of wounded and critically ill patients seeking treatment abroad, Palestinian authorities said on Monday.
The Palestinian Authority for Crossings and Borders confirmed in a brief statement that all medical evacuation operations would be suspended due to the closure, without providing further details on the reasons or expected duration.
The Rafah crossing had partially reopened on February 2 after IOF took control of it in May 2024. However, operations remained limited and heavily restricted, with complex procedures that significantly hindered travel, particularly for patients and the wounded.
The latest closure adds to a pattern of repeated shutdowns, with Israeli authorities previously closing the crossing for weeks at a time, worsening the suffering of thousands of patients in need of urgent care unavailable in Gaza.
According to earlier statements by Raed al-Nims, spokesperson for the Palestine Red Crescent Society, only about 700 patients have been able to leave Gaza for treatment since the crossing partially reopened, while more than 18,000 patients and wounded individuals remain on waiting lists for medical evacuation.
Palestinians returning to Gaza through Rafah have also reported harsh Israeli procedures, including prolonged detention and hours-long interrogations before being allowed to re-enter the territory.
Before the outbreak of the genocide in Gaza, the Rafah crossing had facilitated the movement of hundreds of Palestinians daily, whether traveling abroad or returning home, under joint administration by Gaza’s Interior Ministry and Egyptian authorities, without direct Israeli control.
Under the first phase of a ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, 2025, Israel was expected to fully reopen the crossing. However, Palestinian officials say this commitment has not been implemented.
The closure comes amid continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire. Earlier on Monday, one Palestinian was martyred and others were injured in two Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.
Last week, the Government Media Office in Gaza reported that Israel had committed around 2,400 violations of the ceasefire over six months, including killings, arrests, blockade measures, and starvation policies.
Hamas said on Sunday that Israel has failed to implement most provisions of the first phase of the agreement, instead continuing daily violations, and called for international pressure to enforce compliance and enable negotiations on the next phase.
Israel, backed by the US, launched a genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023, which has lasted for nearly two years, killing more than 72,000 Palestinians and injuring over 172,000, while devastating around 90 percent of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure.
