The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said Wednesday that Israel had canceled arrangements for a third group of wounded Palestinians from Gaza to be evacuated to Egypt via the Rafah border crossing.
Israel denied the claim, insisting the crossing was operating as usual.
In a statement, the office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a body under Israel's Defense Ministry, said on social media on Wednesday that "contrary to reports in the Gazan media, the Rafah Crossing has opened this morning as usual, in accordance with the agreement and Israel's commitment."
It added that the World Health Organization, which coordinates the arrival of Gaza residents at the crossing, had "not yet submitted the necessary coordination details for procedural reasons." Once the required information is received, Israel said, patients and their escorts would be permitted to cross into Egypt immediately.
The World Health Organization has not yet responded to Israel's statement.
Located at Gaza's southern border with Egypt, the Rafah crossing had been largely closed since May 2024, when Israeli forces seized control of the Palestinian side. Before its closure, Rafah was Gaza's main gateway to the outside world and a vital entry point for humanitarian aid.
After a trial run on Sunday, the crossing officially reopened Monday, permitting restricted two-way passage under tight conditions, a limited but symbolic step toward restoring movement in and out of Gaza.
Palestinian Red Crescent reports Rafah evacuation halt as Israel denies disruption
