The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the evacuation of 37 patients from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, most of whom are Palestinian children, to receive treatment in Egyptian hospitals.  

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, saying, "With support from WHO and our partners, 37 patients, including 34 children and 3 adults, along with 39 escorts, crossed today from Gaza through Rafah to continue their treatment in Egypt."  

He also expressed gratitude to the Egyptian government for its continued support and provision of specialized medical care for patients from Gaza, emphasizing the need to expedite medical evacuations through all possible routes to save thousands of lives.  

On Saturday, the first batch of Palestinian patients and wounded individuals left the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing, heading to Cairo for treatment. This is the first such evacuation since May of last year and follows a ceasefire agreement that took effect on January 19, 2025.  

Buses and ambulances carrying around 50 patients, mostly children, and their companions left the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing toward the Egyptian side.  

The reopening of the Rafah crossing, which Israel had occupied the Palestinian side of since May 2024, is the next step in the prisoner exchange agreement and the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.  

Israel’s occupation of the crossing had prevented thousands of injured Palestinians from traveling to receive medical treatment.  

On January 19, 2025, a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel came into effect, which will last 42 days in its first phase, with negotiations to begin the second and third phases, under the mediation of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.