Rafah crossing closure leaves Gaza patients trapped without treatment | Israel-Palestine conflict News
Gaza City, Gaza Strip — On February 28, Lama Abu Reida prepared for what she hoped would be a pivotal moment in her infant daughter’s life. She received news that her daughter, Alma, less than five months old and reliant on an oxygen machine, was eligible for medical evacuation.
With a small travel bag packed and necessary medical documents in hand, Abu Reida was ready to leave the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt for Jordan, where Alma could receive surgery unavailable in Gaza. However, one day before their scheduled departure on March 1, Israeli authorities announced the closure of Gaza’s crossings “until further notice,” citing security concerns. This decision coincided with a coordinated military operation alongside the United States against Iran, leaving Abu Reida devastated.
“They told me the crossing had been closed without any warning because of the war with Iran,” she said, her voice trembling.
Alma, who has been hospitalized at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis for over three months, requires continuous oxygen support. “She cannot do without oxygen at all,” Abu Reida stated. “Without it, she becomes extremely exhausted.”
The Rafah crossing serves as Gaza’s primary connection to the outside world and has been closed for extended periods since Israel’s military operations began against Palestinians in the region last October. A limited reopening was announced on February 1, allowing some medical evacuations, yet many patients remained on waiting lists. The February 28 closure subsequently halted the transfer of wounded patients and urgent medical cases, including Alma’s.
Doctors indicated that surgery abroad was the only viable option for Alma, who had experienced multiple admissions to intensive care. Although the procedure is not inherently risky, it cannot be performed within Gaza’s constrained healthcare system.
“My daughter’s life depends on a single surgery,” Abu Reida remarked. “If her travel is delayed any longer… I don’t know what might happen. Her condition is not reassuring.”
Israeli authorities announced on Sunday that the Rafah crossing would reopen for limited movement of people on Wednesday.
‘The Closure Killed My Children’
Hadeel Zorob shared a heartbreaking story that underscores Abu Reida’s fears. Zorob’s six-year-old son, Sohaib, died on March 1, 2025. Eight-year-old Lana passed away on February 18. Both children suffered from a rare genetic disorder that led to gradual deterioration, and their family lacked access to essential treatment abroad.
“I watched my children die slowly in front of my eyes, one after the other, without being able to do anything,” said Zorob, emotional as she recounted her loss.
Lana had been on the verge of traveling for treatment when the Rafah crossing was closed. “When the news of the crossing closure came, my grief for my daughter returned all over again as I remembered the many children who will suffer the same fate.”
Zorob described how both children had received prior medical care that helped stabilize their condition but that their health deteriorated as the conflict intensified. The collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system and the inability to access medications compounded their suffering.
“We even tried to bring the medicine from the West Bank,” she said. “But nothing worked.” The family had been displaced during the conflict and now lived in a tent, complicating care for her bedridden children, who required constant attention.
Zorob expressed her anguish, stating, “The closure of the crossings killed my children! The world gives no value to our lives or to the lives of our children… this has become something normal.”
Despite her grief, Zorob strives to remain strong for her surviving child, Layan, aged four. “All I want is for what happened to my children not to happen to any other mother… that the crossing be reopened and that children and patients be allowed to travel.”
A Dire Situation for Patients in Gaza
According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, over 20,000 patients are awaiting medical care abroad, including approximately 4,000 cancer patients and about 4,500 children. Among them are nearly 440 cases labeled as “life-saving” and approximately 6,000 individuals requiring ongoing hospital care outside of Gaza.
The Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights has condemned the closure of the Rafah crossing, describing it as collective punishment for civilians in Gaza and warning that it endangers the lives of many patients.
Amal al-Talouli, who has been battling breast cancer for nearly five years, highlighted the impact of the crossing’s closure on her condition. Living with relatives after losing her home in Beit Lahiya, she faces severe medication shortages and a lack of specialized care.
“There is a shortage of everything,” al-Talouli said, emphasizing how malnutrition aggravated her health issues. She noted that the closure has significantly impaired the flow of essential medicines and treatments.
“Now I only want the crossing to reopen so I can have a chance to recover and continue my life with my children,” al-Talouli said. “Is that too much to ask?”
