Gaza’s Health Ministry has accused Israel of preventing more than 16,500 Palestinians in need of medical treatment abroad from leaving the besieged, wartorn enclave despite a nominal “ceasefire” being in place since October last year.
The ministry warned in a statement on Tuesday that Israel was killing patients with delays, after its genocidal war on the enclave killed nearly 73,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
The dire situation highlights the plight of the enclave’s healthcare system, which United Nations experts and aid groups have accused Israel of systematically destroying in an attempt to make Gaza uninhabitable.
According to authorities in Gaza, Israel has been restricting the number of people leaving the enclave for medical treatment.
The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt was partially reopened by Israel at the beginning of February after nearly two years of closure.
Since then, Israel has temporarily closed the crossing on several occasions.
Maher Shamia, the acting undersecretary of Gaza’s Health Ministry, said authorities were only allowing Palestinians to use it to leave the territory three days a week, while allocating just one day a week for medical evacuations at the Karem Abu Salem crossing, which connects Gaza to Israel.
“The occupation bears full responsibility for this crisis due to its continued closure of the Rafah border crossing, the main gateway for patients to leave,” Shamia said.
Shamia called on human rights organisations to exert pressure on Israel and force the authorities to allow Palestinians to freely exit and re-enter Gaza.
He added that the majority of patients could be treated locally if and when the territory’s healthcare infrastructure is rebuilt, which Israel has also been accused of hindering.
“We emphasise that a large portion of patients can be treated inside the Gaza Strip [if] the health sector, which has been systematically destroyed, is rehabilitated and prepared.”
Gaza is in the middle of a humanitarian crisis, which has been compounded by the lack of aid entering the territory. Almost 90 percent of the population remains displaced, with most experiencing high levels of food insecurity.
On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Israel to immediately reopen all crossings into Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to enter without restriction.
“I’m also deeply concerned by Israel’s decision to close crossings into Gaza and reiterate my call for the immediate reopening of all crossings to ensure the rapid, safe and unhindered passage of humanitarian assistance at scale throughout Gaza,” Guterres said.
In April, the UN and European Union warned that human development in Gaza had been set back by 77 years and that more than $71bn would be required for recovery and reconstruction.
Both bodies said entire sectors had been devastated by Israel’s attacks, including housing, health, education, commerce and agriculture.
According to the joint assessment, more than $26bn would be needed to restore essential services, rebuild critical infrastructure and support economic recovery during the first 18 months.
Israel has carried out near-daily attacks in Gaza, despite a so-called “ceasefire” taking effect in October, while human rights groups have accused the country of limiting the amount of aid entering the territory.
Under the deal between Israel and Hamas, which was brokered by the United States and regional leaders, about 600 trucks of aid are supposed to enter Gaza every day.
Israel says it is allowing the agreed amount of aid to enter the territory, but Hamas disagrees and has accused Israel of deliberately hindering the delivery of vital supplies.
Peace talks between the two sides have been stalled for months, and many key sticking points remain, including the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Last week, Husam Badran, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told Al Jazeera that the group was not going to hand over its weapons yet, saying that the fate of its military arsenal would be decided following comprehensive discussions with other Palestinian factions.
A new round of talks began in Egypt on Sunday, with Hamas saying that Israeli attacks in Gaza must halt if any progress is to be made.
