While the technocratic committee said the Rafah crossing was set to open on Wednesday, other sources say that a final date has not been agreed upon, while Hamas blames delays on Netanyahu dragging his feet. Meanwhile, 20,000 sick and wounded patients are waiting for permission to leave for medical treatment overseas
A prevailing atmosphere of tension and anticipation continues to take hold in the Gaza Strip. For most residents of the Strip, it is just another period of uncertainty, but for thousands in need of medical attention, the wait marks the difference between life-saving care and irreversible deterioration.
The Rafah border crossing is at the heart of the issue. The crossing, which is considered the Gaza Strip’s sole gateway to the outside world, has been closed since May 2024 and has under Israeli control during the war.
A preliminary list of 200 patients and escorts from Gaza have obtained Israeli permits for medical care overseas so far, according to sources familiar with the details, but their departure is conditional on the opening of the Rafah crossing and its security and oversight arrangements being finalized.
The director of the Gaza Hospital Network, Dr. Muhammad Zakut, told the Qatari Al-Arabi channel that about 50 patients are expected to leave each day, but Israel has not yet issued a final approval for their departure. At the same time, officials are reportedly putting the finishing touches on plans to gradually reopen the crossing. According to the outline being drawn up, the crossing will be managed by the technocratic committee in coordination with the Palestinian Authority, under the oversight of an international delegation which will include European members.
Committee members said earlier this week that the intention is to open the crossing on Wednesday, “unless Israel imposes new restrictions.” But other sources say that a final date has not been agreed upon, and that it is unclear whether the committee members will cross into Gaza or have to be satisfied at first with an initial inspection of the Egyptian side of the crossing. The international oversight delegation reportedly arrived at the Palestinian side of the crossing on Tuesday as part of the preparations.
There is growing concern in Gaza that even if the border crossing is officially opened in both directions, in practice, there will be a large exodus, mainly the departure of sick patients and their escorts, while the process of returning to Gaza will be fraught with delays and obstacles. In other words, leaving will be easy, but reentry will be very difficult.
All the while, Gaza’s healthcare system is in dire condition. The Gaza Health Ministry announced that more than 20,000 sick and wounded hold comprehensive medical referrals and are waiting for approval to leave for treatment overseas. This includes around 4,000 cancer patients in urgent need of treatment, and about 4,500 children. The ministry added that 440 cases require life-saving care and that at least 1,268 patients have died while waiting for permission to leave since the border crossing was closed in 2024. Only 3,100 patients have left Gaza since the closure of the Rafah crossing.
The ministry has warned that the severe shortage of medicine, medical equipment and specialized services, and the destruction of hospital infrastructure during the war, have led to dramatically longer wait lists. and increased the risk of dying.
In the diplomatic arena, Hamas says that it has met all the conditions of the first phase of the cease-fire. A senior official of Hamas’ political bureau, Husam Badran, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of imposing additional cease-fire conditions and dragging his feet, in particular for the opening of the Rafah crossing and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from areas in the Gaza Strip.
He said that the delay in returning the body of the last hostage, Ran Gvili, was a technical issue only, and not an effort to gain political leverage. He added that Hamas was prepared to transfer the administration of the Gaza Strip to the technocratic committee, in a “smooth and easy” manner, and emphasized that in spite of regional and U.S. pressure, there is still no set date for opening the Rafah border crossing as a result of the delays and Israel’s imposition of new demands on Hamas.
Either way, for Palestinians in Gaza, especially the sick, the question is neither political nor diplomatic, but rather painful and straightforward: When will the Rafah border crossing open, and will it happen until then?