GAZA, (PIC)
Israeli forces continue to occupy and close the crossings in Gaza on Friday, preventing the travel of the injured and sick for treatment and the entry of any humanitarian aid into the territory for the 137th consecutive day. The occupation army has closed the crossings since its invasion of the city of Rafah in the southern part of the territory and its control over the Rafah border crossing and Kerem Abu Salem crossing, despite warnings from humanitarian and relief organizations and international calls to reopen the crossings to avoid famine due to the interruption of aid, and to save the lives of thousands of patients and injured individuals.
The World Food Program warned that two million Palestinians in Gaza, which is facing a devastating Israeli war, are suffering from food insecurity, expressing concern over the reduction in the scale of aid operations to Gaza. Meanwhile, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said that “more than 10,000 people need evacuation and medical care outside of Gaza.” Jasarevic emphasized the necessity of reopening the Rafah crossing and any other border crossing to evacuate patients and the injured to ensure their safety.
The Government Media Office (GMO) called for the opening of the Rafah and Kerem Abu Salem crossings to allow the entry of aid and goods and to end the ongoing genocide for the 11th consecutive month. The GMO noted that the specter of famine is directly threatening the lives of citizens, warning of a rise in the number of deaths due to hunger, especially among children, with 3,500 children at risk of death due to malnutrition and the lack of nutritional supplements and vaccinations, which have become prohibited from entering the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that around 20,000 injured and sick individuals in Gaza currently need to travel for treatment abroad, confirming that none have been able to leave the territory since the Israeli forces occupied the crossings, putting the lives of thousands at risk of complications and death.
In this context, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned of the catastrophic impact and dire situation facing children in Gaza due to the closure of crossings through which aid passes and due to the intensive Israeli military operations in the enclave. Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation army has launched a brutal aggression against Gaza, resulting in tens of thousands of martyrs, injured, and missing persons, most of whom are children and women.
