Israel reportedly opens Gaza border crossing to minors seeking medical treatment abroad – the first such border opening since October 7th.
By World Israel News Staff
For the first time since the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7th, Israel has opened its borders to Gaza civilians seeking medical treatment abroad, according to reports by Arabic media outlets Sunday.
For decades, Israel had permitted Gaza civilians to enter Israeli territory, via the Erez Crossing, for travel abroad.
In addition to facilitating travel abroad via the Erez Crossing, Israel also granted some Gazans with serious medical illnesses permits to remain in the country temporarily for treatment in Israeli medical facilities.
Prior to October 7th, thousands of Gazans received medical care in Israeli hospitals annually.
However, following the invasion of October 7th, the border was closed to Gazans seeking entry into Israel.
On Sunday evening, a group of Gazan children and their chaperones were filmed crossing into Israel at the Kerem Shalom checkpoint. This marks the first time in over ten months Gazans have been allowed to travel through Israeli territory.
Arabic language reports stated that the children were seriously ill, including several suffering from leukemia, and seeking medical treatment abroad.
The children are reportedly residents of the northern Gaza Strip, but were transported to Israel from Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis.
The group trip was organized by the World Health Organization.
Gaza’s southern border, shared with Egypt and centered on the Rafah crossing, has remained largely closed to Gazan civilians throughout the ongoing Gaza war.
In May, four IDF soldiers were killed in a Hamas attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The checkpoint, used for humanitarian aid shipments entering Gaza, was struck by a Hamas rocket ahead of the IDF’s operation into Rafah, the projectile’s point of origin.