UN chief urges Gaza aid as Israel blocks most medical evacuees at Rafah

Al-Shifa Hospital director says blocking medical evacuations through Rafah crossing could be ‘death sentence’ for many.Published On 3 Feb 2026United Nations chief Antonio Guterres again has called on Israel to immediately allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli authorities continue to block dozens of Palestinians from exiting the war-ravaged enclave to seek medical treatment.Guterres made the appeal on Tuesday, as more than 100 sick and injured Palestinians congregated at the newly reopened Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, hoping to access medical care abroad.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3How important is the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing?list 2 of 3Relief for patients leaving Gaza as Rafah opens, but thousands still waitlist 3 of 3UN welcomes reopening of Gaza’s Rafah border with Egyptend of list“I also call for the facilitation of rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief at scale – including through the Rafah crossing,” Guterres said during an address at UN headquarters in New York.Reporting from southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said only 16 Palestinians were allowed to cross into Egypt via Rafah on Tuesday. A day earlier, only five people were permitted to leave, while 12 were allowed back into Gaza.That is far below the 50 Palestinians who Israeli officials said would be allowed to travel in each direction via the crossing.“There is no explanation as to why crossings are being delayed at Rafah,” Khoudary said. “The process is taking an extremely long time.”She added that Palestinians have been forced to leave all their belongings when passing through the crossing, which until Monday had been mostly closed for nearly two years during Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.“There are about 20,000 people waiting [in Gaza] for urgent medical attention abroad,” Khoudary said.Palestinian man shot deadMeanwhile, Israeli forces shot and killed a 19-year-old Palestinian near Khan Younis, despite a purported “ceasefire” deal that entered into force in October.