By Micah Jonah, February 24, 2026
A Palestinian child has died in Gaza while waiting for Israeli approval to leave the enclave for urgent medical treatment, highlighting the worsening healthcare crisis in the territory amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza Strip.
Nidal Abu Rabeea, aged two and a half, died on Sunday after reportedly waiting 14 months for permission to exit Gaza for treatment abroad. His family said they had secured medical referral documents but were unable to obtain approval to travel through the Rafah crossing.
His mother, Iman Hamdouna, said the child suffered from liver enlargement, persistent high fever. Hospitals in Gaza are facing severe shortages of medicine, equipments and personnel, and were unable to provide the specialized care he required.
According to Zaher al-Wahidi, spokesperson for Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 1,360 patients have died while awaiting permission to travel for treatment since May 7, 2024, when the Rafah crossing was closed. Although the crossing partially reopened on February 2 under a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, evacuations remain limited.
Health officials say 350,000 patients with chronic illnesses currently require medical care in Gaza. Before the war began in October 2023, there were 1,244 kidney patients in the enclave. That number has since dropped to 622, according to the Health Ministry.
Nidal’s infant sister, Rital Alaa Abou Rabeea, who also suffers from liver enlargement, remains hospitalized at Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza and is awaiting possible evacuation.
Under the October ceasefire agreement, Israeli authorities pledged to allow the evacuation of 50 patients daily through Rafah. However, data from the Gaza Government Media Office shows that between February 2 and 18, only 1,148 Palestinians passed through the crossing in both directions, compared with the agreed figure of 3,400 for the period.
Despite the ceasefire, violence has continued in Gaza, with hundreds of Palestinians reported killed since October. Health authorities warn that without increased medical evacuations and humanitarian access, more lives remain at risk.
