Dozens of Gaza women trapped by conflict urge border crossings to be opened

Gaza (ANTARA) – Dozens of women trapped in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday (19 May) staged protests, demanding the relaxation of border restrictions so they could be reunited with spouses living abroad. The protesters gathered at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, carrying banners reading ‘Open the crossings’, ‘We have the right to go to our husbands and live in peace and stability’, and ‘Save Gaza women’. Ghadir al-Ahmad (28) said she hopes the crossings will be opened again so that she and her children can join her husband in Sweden. ‘My children have lost their father. They are growing up without a father,’ she told Xinhua, adding that her family has been separated by the conflict and travel restrictions. Another protester, Reham Taha, said she came to Gaza just before the outbreak of the war to visit her ill mother, and became trapped after the crossings were closed. ‘For the past three years, I have experienced fear, loss, and hunger,’ she told Xinhua. She called for steps to facilitate movement in and out of Gaza and to reunite families separated. On the same Tuesday, Gaza health authorities said thousands of patients awaiting treatment abroad are still awaiting travel permits. ‘At least the number of patients who will depart does not meet the urgent travel needs of those on the list, who are facing health and humanitarian conditions amid the worsening health crisis in the Gaza Strip,’ said the Gaza health authorities. The Ministry of Health called on relevant authorities to speed up medical evacuation procedures and ensure patients can reach medical facilities outside Gaza safely. According to official Palestinian data, around 2,800 people have crossed Rafah since the crossing was reopened on 2 February. The figure includes both arrivals and departures from Gaza. Before the war, hundreds of Palestinians crossed Rafah crossing daily. In August 2023, before the conflict erupted, Israeli authorities allowed 58,606 departures from Gaza, while Egyptian authorities allowed 19,608 departures, according to a United Nations report.