20,000 Patients at risk as Rafah Crossing remains closed, Gaza health ministry warns

• Gaza’s Health Ministry warns that the continued closure of the Rafah crossing is putting the lives of 20,000 patients and wounded at serious risk.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health warned on Tuesday that the continued closure of the Rafah crossing by 'Israel' has become a grave and direct threat to the lives of thousands of patients and wounded people, amid a near-total collapse of the healthcare system in the besieged enclave.

In a press statement, the ministry said the prolonged closure is endangering the lives of approximately 20,000 patients and injured individuals who are waiting to travel abroad for treatment, after losing hope of receiving adequate medical care inside Gaza.

According to official data released by the ministry, the humanitarian toll has been severe. Since the onset of the crisis, 1,268 patients have died while awaiting permits to leave Gaza for treatment, with authorities blaming the continued closure of the Rafah crossing for preventing their evacuation.

Medical reports also indicate that 440 cases are currently classified as extremely critical, falling under urgent “life-saving” categories that cannot withstand further delays of days or even hours.

The ministry said the most affected groups include patients facing intense pressure on travel waiting lists, notably 4,000 cancer patients fighting for survival, in addition to 4,500 children registered as emergency cases requiring advanced medical interventions that are no longer available in Gaza.

This comes as the collapse of medical infrastructure and severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies have forced the suspension of all specialized services, leaving hospitals operating at minimal capacity.

Regarding patient departures, the ministry noted that only 3,100 patients have been able to leave Gaza since the closure of the Rafah crossing in May 2024, a figure it described as alarmingly low compared with the scale of the crisis.

The Health Ministry renewed its warning of an unprecedented rise in patient deaths unless the Rafah crossing is immediately reopened and medical supplies are allowed in, urging the international community to intervene urgently to avert a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.