(DailyDig.com) – On Thursday, Israeli and Palestinian authorities announced that Israel and Egypt had reached an agreement to enable the evacuation of 19 extremely ill Gazan youngsters, most of whom are cancer patients, from the territory. This was the first large-scale evacuation of Gazans since the Rafah border crossing was closed in early May.
The Israeli military claimed credit for the operation’s success, saying it was a joint effort with US, Egyptian, and international forces. According to Israel, a total of 68 individuals, including those with injuries or illnesses and their guides, were granted permission to go.
Tania Hary, director of the Israeli group Gisha, which promotes the free movement of Palestinians, stressed that there were many more Gazans to remove who are sick and injured, adding that the most defenseless citizens of Gaza, including its children, the ill, and the elderly, are bearing the brunt of this tragedy.
The World Health Organization announced this week that over 10,000 individuals in Gaza, including ill and injured, need immediate medical attention that is only accessible outside of the territory. Airstrike casualties, cancer patients, youngsters facing terminal illnesses, and elderly patients requiring open-heart surgery are all part of this group.
The scarcity of life-saving medical services in the Gaza Strip meant that many Gazans had to travel beyond the territory even before the conflict broke out. A punishing Israeli-Egyptian siege imposed to restrain Hamas has plagued the enclave’s health sector for almost fifteen years.
However, in May, during a military onslaught, Israeli forces stormed the Rafah border with Egypt, cutting off the central channel via which Gazans could escape. The Israeli military claims that the Gazan section of the gateway was subsequently burned in a fire after Egypt sealed its portion in protest, thus putting an end to any chances of the crossing being restored soon.
According to relatives, two ill Gazans who were supposed to be evacuated in early May passed away while waiting.
Among the children who crossed on Thursday was Sadeel Hamdan, a 10-month-old.
As Sadeel’s health declined, her loved ones watched with increasing fear for months. Her father, Tamer Hamdan, stated that his daughter’s ballooning tummy was a result of her acute liver failure and that she was in dire need of a transplant.
According to him, after reaching Israel, they were transported by ferry to the Israeli border crossing at Nitzana, where they crossed into Egyptian territory with other patients.
In order for Mr. Hamdan to be a partial liver donor, he and his daughter had to travel; however, his wife and three other children were not allowed to accompany them.
He expressed concern about their safety in Gaza.
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