The Israeli occupation forces continue to close the Kerem Shalom commercial and Rafah border crossings for the 27th day in a row.

On May 5, 2024, the Israeli occupation forces completely closed the Kerem Shalom crossing, southeast of the city of Rafah, and prevented the entry of humanitarian and medical aid. After 20 days of closure, the crossing was opened in less than 24 hours, during which 200 aid trucks entered, including 4 trucks. Fuel, which are very scarce quantities compared to the needs of the sector, especially after seven continuous months of aggression.

On May 6, the Israeli occupation forces announced the start of a ground military operation in Rafah, and the next day, they occupied the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, and prevented the entry of life-saving aid and supplies into the besieged Strip, which exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe.

According to medical sources, no sick or wounded person has been able to leave the Gaza Strip since the reoccupation of the Palestinian side of the crossing.

Due to the continued closure of the crossings, the cessation of the flow of aid, and the deliberate targeting of health facilities, only Tal Al-Sultan Hospital remained, which is designated for in-service maternity in Rafah Governorate, after the departure of Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital, Abu Al-Walid Central Clinic, Rafah Field Hospital (2), and Kuwait Specialized Hospital. , and the Indonesian field hospital, for service.

The Israeli occupation forces continue their military attack on Rafah and close the crossings despite international condemnations and calls to stop the attack, the latest of which was the orders of the International Court of Justice for Israel to immediately stop its military operations in the Rafah Governorate, and the necessity of keeping the Rafah crossing open, to enable the entry of aid.

The city of Rafah was the last refuge for the displaced in the stricken Strip. Since the beginning of the ground operation launched by Israel into the Gaza Strip on October 27, 2023, citizens have been asked to go from the north and center of the Strip to the south, claiming that they are “safe areas.”

UNRWA Commissioner Philippe Lazzarini said, "The agency's shelters in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, are empty, and more than a million people have been displaced in search of a safe place that they have never found."

He added in a post on his account on the X platform, “UNRWA was forced to stop health services and other vital services in Rafah.”

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that the amount of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip has decreased by two-thirds since the start of the military operation in the city of Rafah.

He pointed out that aid trucks had diminished due to the closure of the Rafah crossing, and the inability to transport goods safely and continuously from the Kerem Shalom crossing, as well as limited deliveries through other entry points. He stressed that there was a need to bring at least 500 trucks of aid daily into the country. sector.