Tragic Delays in Medical Care for Gazans Amid Rafah Crossing Closure

Tragic Delays in Medical Care for Gazans

After enduring months of anticipation, Fida Ghanem, a 42-year-old resident of Gaza, finally received a permit from both Israel and Egypt to seek urgent treatment for her lymphoma. However, just as hope seemed within reach, Israeli forces took control of the Rafah crossing—the sole border entry from Gaza to Egypt—early the following morning. This military action was part of an extensive offensive against Hamas in the region.

Sadly, Ms. Ghanem passed away just a month later, in early June, with the Rafah border still closed. Her husband, Maher Ghanem, expressed his deep frustration: “She should have been allowed to leave as soon as they diagnosed the cancer,” he lamented. “But it was delay after delay.”

For the majority of Gazans, the Rafah crossing has served as the only exit since the onset of the war nearly nine months ago. Unfortunately, following Israel’s takeover of the crossing in early May, it has remained shut to civilians. Ongoing discussions between Israeli, Egyptian, and Palestinian officials have failed to produce a consensus on the conditions necessary for reopening the crossing.

With the prolonged closure, aid workers and medical professionals have sounded alarms about the dire consequences for some of Gaza’s most vulnerable populations. This includes children suffering from severe burns, cancer patients, and individuals requiring heart surgery. According to the World Health Organization, over 10,000 people in Gaza urgently need medical treatment available only outside the enclave.

“The most vulnerable residents of Gaza — its children, sick, and elderly — are paying the highest price,” stated Tania Hary, the director of Gisha, an Israeli human rights organization dedicated to advocating for freedom of movement for the more than two million Palestinians living in Gaza.