Israel's closure of border crossings has left many patients in the Gaza Strip unable to be transferred to hospitals outside the enclave for further treatment, including a 15-month-old child battling leukemia.
The child is currently receiving care at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza. Five months ago, he was brought to the hospital for suffering from recurring fevers.
"Everything happened so suddenly. Life changed overnight," said Umm Anas Abu Amra, the child's mother.
Due to limited medical resources in Gaza where even basic tests are unavailable, Umm Anas and her husband sought to take their child abroad for treatment.
However, as the regional conflict has intensified, all Gaza border crossings were closed, abruptly disrupting their plan.
"Earlier, we got a call saying the referral was ready and we'd be told within a week to prepare for travel. But then, nothing. Even though we already had the permit," said Umm Anas.
According to doctors at the hospital, the facility not only lacks complete treatment protocols for leukemia but is also struggling to secure essential immune-related medications and diagnostic tools.
For most other complex cases, local hospitals can only offer basic care and palliative support. Comprehensive treatment remains dependent on medical facilities outside Gaza.
"We just hope the border crossings will reopen, so our child can receive treatment outside as soon as possible while there's still time," said Umm Anas.
Gaza health officials said in mid-February that over 20,000 patients and wounded were waiting to exit the enclave for treatment.
On February 28, following the launch of the U.S.-Israeli attack against Iran, Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced the closure of all crossings into Gaza, including Rafah, until further notice.
COGAT on Sunday said in a statement that it will reopen the Rafah Crossing, a main lifeline for residents in the Gaza Strip, on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the land crossing will reopen in both directions, for limited movement of people only.
Gaza border closures leave child with leukemia stranded
Gaza border closures leave child with leukemia stranded
The 17th meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation was held in Hanoi on Tuesday.
Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son co-chaired the meeting with officials from various ministries and provincial governments of both sides participating online and offline.
Efficient coordination among various departments and localities of the two countries has led to an upgrade in all-round cooperation, Wang noted.
Faced with a complex and volatile international situation, China and Vietnam should join hands to advance the path of socialist modernization, continuously create new prospects for relations between the two parties and countries, and make new contributions to strengthening Global South unity and self-reliance and promoting international and regional peace and stability, said Wang.
He added that both sides should expand the breadth of pragmatic cooperation, including promoting railway connectivity, strengthening cooperation in agriculture, electricity, finance, key minerals, and technological innovation, and jointly safeguarding the multilateral trading system.
Efforts should also be made to maintain the momentum of people-to-people exchanges, such as promoting cooperation in media, publishing, radio, and film, and to strengthen the management of differences, advance maritime cooperation, and conclude consultations of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea at an early date, Wang added.
Son said that Vietnam has always regarded China as a top priority and strategic choice in its foreign policy, adding that Vietnam firmly adheres to the one-China policy and opposes any form of Taiwan separatist activities.
He added that Vietnam agrees with the next steps of cooperation proposed by China, and is willing to further consolidate strategic mutual trust, prepare for high-level exchanges, and strengthen party and parliamentary exchanges.
Vietnam is willing to deepen defense and security cooperation, promote mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, agriculture, finance, green energy, and cultural and educational fields, strengthen multilateral coordination and cooperation, properly manage differences, and advance Vietnam-China relations to deeper and more substantive levels, Son said.
China, Vietnam hold meeting to advance cooperation
