Ankara: The head of the Gaza government media office, Ismail al-Thawabteh, has urgently called for the evacuation of 22,000 wounded and sick Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who need medical treatment abroad. He emphasizes the need for crossings to be fully opened to facilitate the daily departure of 1,000 patients.

According to Anadolu Agency, al-Thawabteh's appeal followed the release of Israeli data on Palestinian movement through Gaza crossings since a ceasefire was implemented last October. The Times of Israel reported figures from Israel's Border Crossings Authority, indicating that approximately 10,500 people had left Gaza, while 6,000 had returned during this period.

Al-Thawabteh criticized these figures as inadequate, arguing that they fail to address the severe humanitarian needs in Gaza. He highlighted the worsening conditions for the 22,000 individuals requiring treatment, including thousands of children. He accused Israel of engaging in "deliberate procrastination and slow death" by restricting medical evacuations and demanded an immediate and full opening of the crossings.

He also stressed the need to address the demands of around 90,000 Palestinians stranded outside Gaza, waiting to return. Al-Thawabteh called on the international community, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UN agencies to pressure Israel to cease using the crossings as a "tool of collective punishment" and to simplify procedures without security complications that put patients' lives at risk.

In late August, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that thousands of patients in Gaza were still awaiting urgent medical evacuation. He mentioned that the WHO had facilitated the evacuation of 106 patients in August through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.

The ongoing conflict in Gaza, described as genocide by al-Thawabteh, has resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, with many seeking refuge in temporary shelters. Since October 8, 2023, Israeli actions, supported by the US, have led to the deaths of more than 73,000 Palestinians and injuries to over 174,000, while decimating around 90% of Gaza's infrastructure.