The Gaza Health Ministry has announced that more than 20,000 patients and wounded individuals are waiting to travel abroad for urgent medical treatment, warning that the partial reopening of the Rafah border crossing falls far short of addressing the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip.

In a statement issued Sunday, the ministry voiced deep concern over what it described as the continued closure and limited operation of the Rafah crossing, amid deteriorating health and humanitarian conditions across Gaza.

According to the ministry, those awaiting evacuation include critically ill patients suffering from cancer, heart disease and kidney failure, as well as severely wounded individuals requiring complex surgical procedures unavailable inside Gaza due to the prolonged blockade and repeated damage to the health sector.

Although authorities announced on February 2, 2026 that the Rafah crossing would begin operating partially, the ministry said the number of patients permitted to leave so far remains “extremely limited” and does not reflect the magnitude of the deepening health crisis.

Officials stressed that the current arrangement fails to meet even minimum humanitarian standards, describing it as insufficient to cope with the growing backlog of urgent medical cases.

The ministry also reported receiving distressing testimonies from patients who were able to travel for treatment, citing what it called unjustified restrictions and procedural complications that have compounded their psychological and physical suffering.

Warning of serious consequences, the ministry said maintaining the current restricted mechanism at Rafah — including limited daily travel quotas and slow evacuation procedures — poses a direct threat to thousands of lives and risks further deterioration of Gaza’s already fragile health system.

The Health Ministry called for the crossing to be opened permanently and without restrictions to ensure freedom of movement for patients and the wounded. It also demanded the immediate evacuation of critical cases and a significant increase in the number of approved travelers to meet accumulated medical needs.

Appealing to the international community, the ministry urged humanitarian organizations and global institutions to intervene urgently to guarantee patients’ right to treatment and travel, describing it as a fundamental human right protected under international law.

Concluding its statement, the ministry said that patients’ lives “are not numbers to be postponed,” warning that continued delays and obstructions could result in further preventable deaths unless swift and responsible action is taken. (ILKHA)