Palestinian Health Minister Maged Abu Ramadan said Wednesday that there is no evidence that Israel will reopen the Rafah gate soon, urging powers to put more pressure on Tel Aviv to allow in supplies and fuel.
“This is completely in the hands of the Israelis,” Abu Ramadan stated during a meeting in Geneva with the Association of Accredited Correspondents to the United Nations (ACANU).
He stated that even before the blockade in early May, Israel was stopping many patients from entering since such recommendations required Israeli consent.
He stated that the crossing’s shutdown “complicated the picture” for both humanitarian assistance and necessary medical evacuations.
“Those who cannot be treated in Gaza are forbidden from going to Egypt and somewhere else for the treatment they need,” he stated. “What matters is that there has been a crime against humanity.” Whether there are one or a million (dead), the situation remains unchanged.
“At the moment, people are deprived of almost all aspects of health services,” he stated.
Regarding Spain, Ireland, and Norway’s recognition of Palestine as a state, Abu Ramadan praised the three countries for their “courageous decision” and expressed gratitude.
He stated that the decision will have “great political, positive input on the case of Palestine, wherever it will be discussed.”
“I urge all other European countries to follow this courageous step,” stated the president.
Israel has continued its savage bombardment on the Gaza Strip since October 7, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in the enclave.
More than 37,171 people have been killed and 81,420 injured in the enclave, with the vast majority of them being women and children, while enormous swathes of Gaza lie in ruins due to a debilitating siege of food, clean water, and medicine.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has accused Israel of genocide and ordered it to halt its operation in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.
Despite international outrage, Israel continues to pound the city, where over a million Palestinians sought safety from the conflict before it was attacked on May 6.
On Sunday, the Israeli force struck displaced Palestinian tents in Rafah camp, killing at least 45 people, including 23 women, children, and the elderly, and wounding 249.