Palestinian patients on way to Egypt as Rafah crossing opens after 9 months

Gaza’s health ministry said a group of 50 patients crossed from Rafah to reach Egypt.

The Rafah border crossing has opened for the first time in nearly nine months to allow sick and wounded Palestinian patients in Gaza to travel to Egypt for medical treatment.

Gaza’s health ministry on Saturday said a group of 50 patients crossed from Rafah to reach Egypt.

Egyptian television showed a Palestinian Red Cross ambulance pulling up to the crossing gate, and several children being brought out on to stretchers and being transferred to ambulances on the Egyptian side.

The reopening of the Rafah crossing represents a significant breakthrough that bolsters the ceasefire deal Israel and Hamas agreed to earlier this month.

Israel agreed to reopen the crossing after Hamas released the last living female captives in Gaza. The opening also comes on the heels of Hamas releasing three Israeli captives in Gaza earlier Saturday in exchange for more than 180 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.