Israeli Strikes Hit Gaza as Health Ministry Urges Rafah Opening

Ongoing Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip continued at a rapid pace on Thursday, resulting in casualties and prompting urgent appeals from local health authorities to reopen border crossings for medical evacuations. Among the latest developments, the Ministry of Health has renewed calls for the Rafah crossing to be opened so that sick and wounded Palestinians can leave the territory for treatment abroad.

According to reports from the region, an Israeli drone fired two missiles in quick succession at a civilian car in the Maghazi refugee camp located in central Gaza. This strike killed two individuals and wounded others who were subsequently rushed to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for emergency care. Witnesses noted that the strike occurred without prior warning while low-altitude flights continued overhead. Additional military operations were reported in northern Gaza, where a strike in Jabalia wounded a resident and forces in the Halawa camp fired directly at tents housing displaced families.

Escalating Violence Across the Territory

In eastern Gaza City, artillery shelling produced explosions in the Shujayea, Tuffah, and Zeitoun neighbourhoods. Concurrently, large-scale demolitions were carried out by Israeli forces behind the Yellow Line, affecting areas such as Beit Lahiya, Khan Younis, and Deir el-Balah, destroying remaining homes and local infrastructure. Earlier in the day, four Palestinians were buried at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis following a drone strike in the al-Mawasi area near Rafah. The victims were identified as civilian employees of the Ministry of Economy monitoring aid trucks near the Karem Abu Salem crossing. More than thirty others sustained injuries in that same attack.

Dozens of patients have died while awaiting permission to leave Gaza for essential medical treatment.

The Gaza Health Ministry stated that six individuals were killed and thirty-eight wounded over a twenty-four-hour period. Officials reported that more than 21,468 patients currently require travel outside the strip for specialized care, with over 6,000 categorized as priority cases. The ministry attributed worsening medical conditions to repeated border closures and evacuation delays, noting that numerous individuals have passed away while waiting for permission to leave. Since February, thousands of patients have been successfully evacuated through the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem crossings, but officials emphasize that current access remains severely restricted relative to the vast humanitarian need.