Palestinians Trapped in Gaza After Rafah Crossing Closed

Palestinians in Gaza, already facing immense hardship, have seen their last chance of escaping the conflict vanish with Israel's capture of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. This critical juncture was sealed last month, cutting off the final exit for Gazans amidst escalating tensions and humanitarian crises.

Over the past eight months, Israel had allowed tens of thousands of Gazans to leave through Rafah, including the critically sick and wounded. An Egyptian company also facilitated some departures, though at a significant cost. Additionally, various foreign nations coordinated the evacuation of dual citizens and their relatives.

Currently, the United States, Egypt, and Israel are engaged in discussions to reopen the crossing, which is crucial not only for evacuations but also for delivering aid to the besieged Strip. Despite these efforts, progress has been minimal. The Israeli rights group Gisha reported a small victory in late May, successfully lobbying for 18 Palestinian citizens of Israel and residents of Jerusalem to leave Gaza via Kerem Shalom, another crossing point in the south.

Israel's offensive in Rafah, aimed at dismantling Hamas’s remaining battalions, has extinguished any hope of escape for Gaza’s ailing and injured civilians. The region's health system is collapsing, and the United Nations has issued a dire warning that over a million people could face starvation by mid-July. For some, the border closure has already been a death sentence.

Among those affected is Fidaa Ghanem, 44, who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late February. Initially, she and her husband Maher, 46, attributed her weight loss to the stress of war and food shortages. Now, trapped in Gaza with limited medical resources, her prognosis looks increasingly grim.

The bustling markets of Khan Younis, as seen on June 9, offer a stark contrast to the dire circumstances many residents face. Since Israel's capture of the Rafah crossing, the Strip's inhabitants find themselves unable to leave, trapped in a land where the prospects for survival diminish by the day.