Gaza child dies waiting for Israeli permission to leave for treatment

Israel continues to block thousands of Palestinians from seeking urgent medical attention through the partially reopened Rafah crossing.Published On 23 Feb 2026A Palestinian child died on Sunday while waiting for Israel to approve his exit from Gaza for medical treatment amid an ongoing healthcare crisis in the enclave, whose medical infrastructure has been destroyed by Israel’s genocidal war.Nidal Abu Rabeea’s family told Al Jazeera that they had medical referral documents approved to receive treatment abroad, but he was left waiting for 14 months to be allowed out of the enclave of 2.3 million Palestinians, most of whom are displaced.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4More Palestinians return to Gaza via Rafah as Israeli attacks continuelist 2 of 4ICU patients’ lives at risk in Gaza’s Al-Aqsa Hospital amid Israel’s warlist 3 of 4Gaza mother’s grim ordeal: A search for missing son among mutilated bodieslist 4 of 4Gaza death toll exceeds 75,000 as independent data verify lossend of list“Israel closed the crossings and killed my son,” said Iman Hamdouna, his mother, adding that her son struggled with an enlarged liver and high fever for months before his death. Local media reported that he was two years old.Hospitals in Gaza, operating with critical shortages due to curbs imposed by Israel, could not help him and cannot help thousands of other sick and wounded Palestinians who need higher levels of medical care.According to Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson Zaher al-Wahidi, 1,360 patients have died while waiting to travel for medical treatment since May 7, 2024, the day the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s only gateway to the outside world, was closed by Israel.Thousands of Palestinians in the Strip seek urgent medical attention through the partially reopened Rafah crossing on February 2, with limited movement through it due to Israel’s very slow and restricted approvals.In an earlier interview with Al Jazeera, al-Wahidi said Israel “has deliberately and methodically destroyed the health system”, adding that it faced five challenges: near absence of patient evacuations, lack of medical equipment, shortage of medication, destruction of facilities, and need for medical workers.