Gaza Health Ministry Requests Rafah Crossing Open Amid New Israeli Strikes

The Gaza Health Ministry asked for the Rafah border crossing to open on Thursday so sick and wounded residents can leave for treatment.

The ministry reported that 21,468 patients currently need to travel outside the territory for care. Of that group, 6,430 are listed as priority cases. Since February, 3,056 patients have been evacuated abroad. Most of those departures, 2,614, went through Rafah. Another 442 left via the Karem Abu Salem crossing.

The ministry attributed worsening patient conditions to repeated border closures and delays in evacuation procedures. It stated that dozens of patients died while waiting for permission to leave. It also said the health of thousands more has seriously deteriorated during the wait.

Israeli attacks continued at a high pace on Thursday. Drone strikes hit the center and north of the strip. In the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, an Israeli drone fired two missiles at a civilian car. Two Palestinians were killed and others were wounded. The injured were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. One patient is in critical condition.

Al Jazeera correspondent Ashraf Abu Amra reported from Deir el-Balah that the strike happened without prior warning. He noted that Israeli aircraft are flying at low altitude across all areas of the strip. Earlier in the day, a strike in Jabalia wounded a Palestinian who was taken to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Attacks escalated east of Jabalia in the Halawa camp. Israeli forces along the Yellow Line began firing at tents where displaced families live. In eastern Gaza City, artillery shelling hit the Shujayea, Tuffah, and Zeitoun neighborhoods. Israeli forces also conducted large-scale demolitions behind the Yellow Line. Areas affected included sections of Deir el-Balah, Khan Younis, Gaza City, and Beit Lahiya.

Four Palestinians were buried at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Thursday morning. They were killed in a drone strike in the al-Mawasi area near the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem crossings. The victims were Ministry of Economy employees who monitor aid trucks. More than 30 others were wounded in that attack. Al Jazeera reporter Moath al-Kahlout reported that 11 people, including women and children, were wounded when artillery struck a house east of Gaza City. The Health Ministry counted six killed and 38 wounded in the previous 24 hours.