The Rafah border crossing, a key gateway between Gaza and Egypt, has reopened after eight months of closure, enabling the evacuation of 37 sick and wounded Palestinians for medical treatment in Egypt.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that 34 children and three adults, along with 39 companions, crossed the border to receive care.

The crossing had been shut since May 2024 after Israeli forces took control of the Gaza side, but its reopening comes as part of a ceasefire and hostage deal between Hamas and Israel.

The border crossing had been a lifeline for those in Gaza seeking urgent medical attention, especially as Gaza’s healthcare system struggled under the strain of the ongoing conflict.

Footage from the border crossing depicted Palestinian children in stretchers and ambulances, visibly in pain as they crossed into Egypt.

Among the evacuees was Mai Khader Abdul Ghani, whose son, Moatasem Billah Rami Nabil Sammour, suffers from a rare autoimmune disease.

Ghani expressed her relief, stating, “We have been waiting for this day impatiently. I hope his suffering comes to an end after receiving the appropriate treatment.”

Her son, placed in intensive care at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, had been enduring severe pain for months. “I have severe difficulty moving, my mouth has ulcers, and I also have difficulty eating, drinking, and everything,” he shared.

Also among the evacuees was Mohammed Abu Jalala, who was accompanying his niece Lara Abu Jalala, who suffered significant injuries in a bombing that killed her parents and siblings.

One of Lara’s feet had been so severely damaged that it required amputation. “We tried to avoid the amputation, but it had to be performed as the foot had gangrene in the bone,” Abu Jalala explained. The other foot remains injured and also requires treatment.

Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO’s representative for the West Bank and Gaza, described the evacuation as an orderly process.

“The ambulances are going one by one, first with the non-walking patients, then walking patients and the companions. They’ll be checked and then moved on to the Egyptian side,” he said, estimating that around 14,000 people in Gaza require treatment unavailable in the region.

These patients include those suffering from war-related injuries such as amputations, burns, and spinal injuries, as well as those with chronic illnesses. WHO expects that around half of these patients will be children.

The European Union has deployed a monitoring mission at the Rafah crossing to assist Palestinian border personnel and ensure the safe transfer of evacuees.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, noted that the mission would help facilitate the movement of individuals, including those in need of urgent medical care.

The reopening of Rafah marks a significant development amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The border had been closed following Israel’s military control, and its reopening provides much-needed relief for the residents of Gaza.

This move follows a broader context of ongoing hostage exchanges between Hamas and Israel, as well as continued efforts to ease the humanitarian toll on Gaza’s civilian population.

According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, over 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Israeli offensive, which began after Hamas launched an attack on Israel in October 2023.

The situation remains dire, with medical assistance and humanitarian support crucial for the survival of those affected by the conflict.