The Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt was reopened last month under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel to allow injured Palestinians to leave the enclave for medical treatment abroad.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the closure of the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Tuesday, preventing any medical evacuations of injured Palestinians for treatment abroad.
The closure follows the resumption of Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave following a fragile two-month ceasefire.
Israeli Army Radio cited “security sources” as saying that Katz ordered the closure, while the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, reported that Israel told workers on the Palestinian side of the crossing that the terminal had been closed.
“The EU Border Assistance Mission at the crossing has been notified of the decision,” KAN reportedly added, according to the Anadolu news agency.
The Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt was reopened last month under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel to allow injured Palestinians to leave the enclave for medical treatment abroad.
EU Officials Informed
The Times of Israel reported on Tuesday that the European Union and Palestinian officials who have been operating the crossing were not in Gaza when Israel began its airstrikes overnight.
The paper cited a diplomat as saying that they were informed on Tuesday morning that the crossing was being shut and they would therefore “not be allowed back into the Strip for the time being.”
412 Dead, Over 500 Injured: Gaza Under Siege as Brutal Israeli Airstrikes Continue
Since dawn on Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of 412 Palestinians and injured over 500. Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, Director-General of Gaza’s Health Ministry, condemned the… pic.twitter.com/d6NnxCb2GD
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 18, 2025
By Tuesday afternoon, Gaza’s Ministry of Health confirmed that 412 Palestinians were killed and over 500 injured in airstrikes on several areas of the enclave that began in the early hours of the day.
The ceasefire, brokered through US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediation, had been held since January 19, but tensions erupted once again due to Israel’s refusal to extend the truce.
Gaza’s Health Ministry urgently calls for blood donations, urging those who can to head to operational hospitals. No healthcare system, no matter how robust, can handle this number of casualties. #Gaza #HumanitarianCrisis #BloodDonation pic.twitter.com/HoiI9OoWYb
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 18, 2025
The Israeli military has justified its offensive by claiming the need to target Hamas after the movement’s rejection of US proposals to extend the first phase of the ceasefire, as opposed to following the original agreement.
Hamas Urges Global Intervention
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Katz have both claimed that the escalation comes in response to Hamas’ refusal to release Israeli detainees.
Hamas has firmly placed the blame for the ongoing massacres on Netanyahu and the Israeli occupation, condemning the escalation as part of a broader genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people.
The movement has called on Arab and international organizations to urgently intervene and end the siege on Gaza, emphasizing the need for unity and support in the face of Israeli war crimes.
Over 48,000 Palestinians were killed and more than 111,000 injured in the genocidal assault that began in October 2023 and was briefly brought to a halt by the first phase of the ceasefire.
UNRWA’s Commissioner-General condemned the horrific scenes of civilians, including children, killed in Gaza due to relentless Israeli bombing. He stressed that escalating violence will only lead to more despair and suffering, urging an immediate return to the ceasefire. #Gaza… pic.twitter.com/n1djdjBDDb
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 18, 2025
Netanyahu ordered a complete blockade on the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave just hours after the conclusion of the first phase of the ceasefire, leading UNICEF to warn that without aid entering Gaza, “roughly one million children are living without the very basics they need to survive – yet again.”
(PC, Anadolu)
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