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
Polish citizens are feeling the squeeze of surging energy costs, as the conflict in the Middle East continues to roil the international energy market,
In Poland, rising fuel prices are gradually making their way into everyday life and the real economy. Many residents said higher energy costs are taking a heavy toll.
"I do think about this issue more and try to reduce my fuel consumption. Overall, everything happening right now is unsettling," said Pawel, a Warsaw resident.
"I really feel it. Prices have gone up a lot. We're trying to cope and can manage for now. Taxi fares haven't increased yet, but it's definitely getting harder," said Wiktor, another resident.
"Of course it has affected us. Because fuel prices have gone up, everything else is more expensive and costs more now," said Anita, another local resident.
Meanwhile, those working in the transport and service sectors said rising oil prices are directly impacting their businesses.
"The courier industry, like most taxi drivers, is soon going to face closure and be forced out of business. I used to drive international long-distance buses, and honestly, some people in that sector are also thinking about quitting," said Michal, another Warsaw resident.
Lukasz Goczek, a professor from the Department of Macroeconomics and Theory of Foreign Trade at the University of Warsaw, said the continued shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor, could leave global energy prices elevated for a long time, heavily impacting the world economy.
"Iran has this huge leverage. It's got the whole world in a chokehold because 20 percent of oil that's transported in the world goes through the Strait. It obviously means that the price of energy is going to increase. We see it at the petrol stations," said Goczek.
Goczek also noted that U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran have dealt a serious blow to the international order.
"I think that's pretty much, by now, the international law. If it's not that, it's definitely very, very illegal. There wasn't any reason for war. It just straightforwardly began without any warning. So it was much of a surprise. We need the international order to have peace, to prosper, to have trade," said Goczek.
Rising energy costs squeeze Polish households, businesses
