DaysofPal- The first group of patients and injured Palestinians will start passing through the Rafah border crossing on Saturday, February 1, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
In a press statement on Friday, the ministry stated that patients and their companions would be contacted by phone to coordinate travel arrangements based on an approved list from the relevant authorities.
Buses will be arranged to transport the patients to the crossing, with logistical support from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The reopening of the Rafah crossing is part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.
Israel had previously closed the Rafah crossing and destroyed large sections of it following its May 7 invasion of Rafah last year. Since then, the crossing has remained shut.
It is expected that the coming days will witness the departure of more patients and injured people through the Rafah crossing.
The Israeli army radio said yesterday, Friday, that the army withdrew from the border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
Anwar Al-Anani, the spokesperson for the European Commission for Foreign Affairs, stated that the EU civilian mission started at the Rafah crossing yesterday at the request of the Israelis and Palestinians. The European Union also announced the deployment of its civilian mission at the crossing.
The mission will include cooperation with Palestinian staff at the borders and the provision of medical care until the end of the first phase of the ceasefire.
The World Health Organization, for its part, applauded the action planned for today to evacuate 50 patients across the Rafah crossing, the first such action since the ceasefire began and the crossing was closed in May of last year.
The organization added that 12,000 to 14,000 people are still in need of medical evacuation outside Gaza.”
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