Trucks gather at the newly opened Rafah crossing to take aid into Gaza

A convoy of trucks was spotted at the Rafah border crossing on Sunday morning as the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel continues to hold.

Palestinian health officials in Gaza reported that the long-closed Rafah crossing with Egypt reopened on Saturday, allowing thousands of Palestinians in urgent need of medical care to leave.

With support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, 37 patients—34 children and three adults—were evacuated from Gaza to Egypt through the Rafah crossing on Saturday, accompanied by 39 relatives. The evacuation means the patients will get to receive specialised medical care that is unavailable in war-wrecked Gaza.

At Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, families prepared for the journey with the assistance of WHO teams. Among them was Al-Ata Al-Najjar, the mother of young Abdul, who suffers from a suspected case of cystic fibrosis and a congenital heart defect.

“I was very happy when I received the call about travelling for treatment. I felt relieved that my child, God willing, will get his treatment,” she said.

The evacuation comes amid urgent calls from the WHO to expedite medical transfers for critically ill patients.

Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the Palestinian territories, stressed the scale of the crisis, estimating that between 12,000 and 14,000 patients in Gaza require urgent evacuation for life-saving treatment. “This is just the start. We need to speed up the pace. What we need are medical corridors now outside Gaza,” he said.

As the convoy reached Rafah, families made their final steps toward the crossing, some in wheelchairs, others clinging to loved ones.

With thousands still in dire need of medical transfers, the WHO continues to urge for