TEHRAN – Israel's continued closure of the Rafah crossing amounts to a death sentence for thousands of Palestinian patients and wounded trapped in the Gaza Strip.

The shutdown of the Rafah crossing is preventing Palestinians from accessing life-saving medical treatment abroad, Gaza’s Ministry of Health has warned. 

The ministry said the ongoing restrictions imposed by the occupying Israeli regime have pushed the already devastated health system to the brink of collapse.

According to the ministry, nearly 20,000 patients with completed medical referrals are currently waiting for permission to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment outside the enclave. 

Many of these cases involve serious and complex conditions that cannot be treated locally due to the Zionist regime’s destruction of medical infrastructure and the severe shortage of medicines and equipment.

The health authorities reported that the lack of essential drugs and medical consumables, combined with the suspension of most specialized medical services, has dramatically worsened the humanitarian situation. 

Hospitals have been damaged or rendered inoperable, diagnostic services are limited, and specialized care is largely unavailable. 
As a result, waiting lists for treatment abroad continue to grow.

The ministry documented 440 cases classified as life-saving emergencies, while 1,268 patients have died while waiting for permission from the occupying Israeli regime to travel for treatment. 

Cancer patients are among the most severely affected groups. With no access to specialized oncology care or diagnostic services inside Gaza, around 4,000 cancer patients remain on urgent waiting lists, facing deteriorating conditions and rising mortality risks.

Children make up a significant portion of those affected. The ministry stated that approximately 4,500 patients with registered medical referrals are children. Despite the scale of the crisis, only 3,100 patients have been able to leave Gaza since the Rafah land crossing was closed on 7 May 2024, underscoring the vast gap between medical needs and actual evacuations.

The Ministry of Health warned that the continuation of the closure could lead to unpredictable and catastrophic health outcomes, including a sharp rise in preventable deaths and an even greater backlog of patients requiring treatment abroad. 

It stressed that opening the Rafah crossing, facilitating the departure of patients and wounded individuals, and ensuring the uninterrupted entry of medical supplies represent the last remaining lifeline for thousands of people.

On Monday, following the recovery of the body of the last Israeli captive soldier from Gaza, Hamas emphasized that the Zionist regime must fully implement all provisions of the agreement without delay or evasion. 

The movement specifically called for the unconditional opening of the Rafah crossing in both directions, the entry of humanitarian and medical supplies in sufficient quantities, the lifting of all restrictions on goods, and the complete withdrawal of the occupation regime from the Gaza Strip. 

It also demanded that the Israeli occupation forces allow the national committee tasked with managing Gaza’s civil affairs to operate freely.

The health crisis in Gaza highlights how movement restrictions function not only as a security measure but also as a form of collective punishment for the entire Palestinian population trapped inside the Strip. 

By controlling access to treatment and supplies, the Israeli regime determines life-and-death outcomes for patients. 

Humanitarian organizations warn that without immediate and sustained access through Rafah, Gaza’s health system may suffer irreversible collapse, transforming a medical emergency into a long-term humanitarian catastrophe.