GAZA/ PNN/

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said Sunday it had carried out a medical evacuation of patients and wounded individuals from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah land crossing, in coordination with the World Health Organization and relevant authorities.

In a statement, the organisation said 27 patients and 42 companions — a total of 69 people — were evacuated from Gaza earlier in the day. The group was transported by Red Crescent ambulances from the organisation’s rehabilitation hospital in Khan Younis to the Rafah crossing, in preparation for travel abroad to receive medical treatment.

The society added that the operation follows the reopening of the Rafah crossing on Sunday, with evacuations resuming after several days of suspension by the World Health Organization.

The Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main gateway to Egypt and the outside world, has been a critical lifeline for humanitarian aid and medical evacuations, particularly during the war. Its operations have been repeatedly disrupted amid security conditions and political arrangements.

Following the recent halt in hostilities in Gaza, the reopening of the crossing has enabled the gradual resumption of humanitarian movements, including the transfer of critically ill and wounded patients in urgent need of treatment unavailable in said Gaza Strip.