The Kerem Shalom land crossing between Israel and Gaza will allegedly be opened to Gaza citizens seeking medical care abroad, according to a report by i24TV, quoting sources from the Palestinian Authority and confirmed by sources within IDF Southern Command.
In addition, Gazans with specific humanitarian needs and special permits will likewise be able to leave Gaza through the Kerem Shalom Crossing, according to the report. It’s not clear whether the Gazans passing through the crossing will be permitted to access medical care in Israel, as they did prior to October 7th.
The other passage in southern Gaza, the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt, was closed by the Cairo government after Israeli military forces seized control over the Gaza side of the crossing.
Despite Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel, Cairo seems unwilling to cooperate in any way with IDF efforts to prevent another massacre from taking place on its territory. Egypt refuses to reopen the crossing until Israeli forces withdraw entirely from Gaza, leaving the passage under the control of the Palestinian Authority, which like Hamas has for decades incited and encouraged its citizens to murder Israelis and Jews.
Using the Kerem Shalom Crossing to exit Gaza will of necessity mean passage through Israeli territory.
Israel prohibited entry of Gazans and Palestinian Authority citizens, regardless of whether they held an Israeli entry permit, effective October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists broke through the border security fence and slaughtered 1,200 people in nearby communities and military bases.
Many of the terrorists knew the names of the residents and where their families lived, including even their pets. It is believed the intelligence was obtained from Gazans with Israeli work permits who were employed in the communities, in some cases for years, and who perhaps carried out the surveillance on behalf of Hamas.
Some Palestinian Authority citizens with work permits have since been allowed to enter Israel for employment purposes, but the security restrictions have been tightened in the wake of the massacre.
Given the above, it is therefore hard to understand why the Israeli government would approve of such a move.
Despite multiple attempts to seek verification and/or comment from the office of the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT, the IDF office that acts as liaison to officials and civilians in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority) JewishPress.com was unable to reach anyone, including the COGAT spokesperson.
As a result, the report cannot be confirmed, nor can it be discounted.
