Gazan patients await evacuation via Rafah crossing as medical transfers slowly resume

Patients and injured individuals from the Medical Rehabilitation Hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza, were seen on February 05, 2026, awaiting evacuation through the Rafah border crossing, following its limited reopening for medical transfers. The carefully coordinated movement represents one of the first groups to be cleared for transfer since the crossing was partially opened under strict Israeli controls earlier in the week.

The evacuations come amid a severe healthcare crisis in Gaza, where thousands of critically ill patients—including many children—require specialized treatment unavailable in the enclave’s devastated medical facilities. Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly emphasized that the current evacuation quota remains insufficient to meet the overwhelming need.

The Rafah crossing, Gaza’s primary gateway to Egypt and external medical care, had been sealed by Israel since May 2024. While its restricted reopening allows a limited number of pedestrians—primarily patients and companions—to cross, humanitarian aid shipments continue to be barred from entering through Rafah. The United Nations and aid agencies continue to call for expanded access and sustained humanitarian corridors.