SAFA- The Gaza Crossings and Borders Authority announced on Sunday that 73 people departed the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, including 35 patients and 38 accompanying family members. The Authority also reported that 73 Palestinians returned to Gaza.

Medical evacuation operations continue amid the dire humanitarian and healthcare conditions in the Gaza Strip, where there is a growing need to facilitate the travel of critically ill patients requiring specialized treatment unavailable locally.

The World Health Organization (WHO) oversaw and coordinated the evacuation process with the relevant authorities, including the completion of the necessary procedures for patients and their companions to exit through the Rafah crossing.

The operation is part of ongoing humanitarian efforts to evacuate patients in need of specialized medical care outside Gaza, as the territory’s healthcare system remains under severe strain and medical facilities continue to face overwhelming pressure.

On Saturday, Gaza's Ministry of Health warned that the remaining ambulance and medical transport vehicles operating in the Strip are no longer capable of meeting daily needs.

In a statement, the ministry said that 70 percent of its ambulance and transport fleet has been taken out of service due to direct attacks, the accumulation of mechanical failures, and the continued lack of spare parts.

The ministry stressed that it is facing serious difficulties in meeting transportation needs for both patients and healthcare workers because no safe alternative means of transport are available.

It also warned that the continued ban on the entry of tires and vehicle spare parts could push Gaza's healthcare sector toward the complete paralysis of its medical transport system.