Israel Lets 19 Children Exit Gaza in Medical Evacuation for First Time Since May

In a significant development, Israeli authorities have permitted 21 children, including 19 sick or wounded, to exit the Gaza Strip and enter Egypt. 

This marks the first medical evacuation since early May, following the closure of Gaza’s sole travel crossing after Israel took control. 

The evacuation comes amidst a devastating nine-month conflict between Israel and Hamas that has severely crippled Gaza's health sector and forced most hospitals to shut down.

The Israeli military body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, COGAT, announced on Thursday that the evacuation was coordinated with officials from the United States, Egypt, and the international community. 

The children and their companions left Gaza via the Kerem Shalom cargo crossing, with plans to travel to Egypt and beyond for essential medical treatment.

The departure was emotionally charged as families bid tearful goodbyes at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. 

Many relatives had to stay behind, adding to the anxiety of an already uncertain journey. 

Nour Abu Zahri, one of the many parents, wept as he kissed his young daughter goodbye. 

She suffers from severe burns caused by an Israeli airstrike, and while her mother was cleared to accompany her, Nour was not.

Kamela Abukweik, another distressed parent, watched her son leave with her mother. 

Her son, suffering from widespread tumors and persistent fever, was also part of the evacuation. 

"I still don’t know where he is going," Kamela lamented, highlighting the distressing uncertainty faced by many families.

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, the only passage for people to travel in or out, has been closed since early May after Israeli forces captured it. 

Egypt has refused to reopen its side until Palestinian control is reinstated. 

This closure has left thousands in urgent need of medical care, including over 980 children with cancer, 25% of whom require immediate evacuation, according to Dr. Mohammed Zaqout, head of Gaza’s hospitals.

Despite the coordinated effort by the World Health Organization (WHO) and three American charities, the route through Kerem Shalom is seen as an inadequate substitute for the Rafah crossing. 

Dr. Zaqout emphasized that the current evacuation is merely "a drop in the ocean" compared to the overwhelming need for medical treatment abroad.

Physicians for Human Rights Israel and Gisha, an Israeli human rights organization, have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to establish a "permanent mechanism" for medical evacuations from Gaza. 

Prior to the conflict’s escalation on May 7, around 50 Palestinian patients crossed into Egypt daily for medical treatment. 

The significantly lower number of evacuations on Thursday underscores the dire situation.

The WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hanan Balkhy, welcomed the evacuation but stressed the urgent need for sustained, organized, and safe medical evacuation corridors. 

She noted that over 10,000 patients in Gaza still require external medical care, with only 35% of the 13,872 applicants since October 7 having been evacuated.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 37,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and fighters in its tally. 

The war began with a surprise attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, which killed around 1,200 people and took 250 hostage. 

The violence has led to severe humanitarian crises, including widespread hunger and a near-total dependence on aid.

As international criticism grows over Israel’s campaign against Hamas, the urgent need for medical evacuations and humanitarian aid continues to dominate discussions. 

The latest evacuation highlights the dire circumstances and the critical need for more comprehensive solutions to address the medical and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.