Israeli authorities say 68 people have been allowed out of the Gaza Strip and into Egypt to seek medical help, though it was not immediately clear where they would receive treatment. It was the first medical evacuation out of the enclave since Israel took over the Rafah border crossing in May.Kamla Abu Kwaik wipes her eyes as she says goodbye to her five-year-old son in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Thursday. The boy was evacuated from the enclave to seek medical treatment in Egypt.
"I'm so sad that I'm leaving him, but he's sick," Kamla told CBC freelance videographer Mohamed El Saife. "He's crying and I can't do anything for him." News of the evacuations was met with tepid optimism. Ahmed Zaqout, director of the Gaza Strip Hospitals, said more than 25,000 patients need treatment abroad — including roughly 980 children with cancer.
Nine months of war has devastated much of Gaza's health infrastructure, with Israel targeting its attack on hospitals and schools it claims Hamas fighters have used as shields and hiding places for weapons. Health staff are scrambling to deal with the high demand for medical attention from civilians caught in the crossfire of fighting — without access to proper medical supplies.
The international community has criticized Israel's war against Hamas as the campaign cuts off the flow of critical food, medicine and basic goods to Gaza, leaving Palestinians totally dependent on humanitarian aid organizations struggling for access. The top United Nations court has concluded there is a "plausible risk of genocide" in Gaza — a charge Israel has strongly denied.