Hamas requests opening Rafah crossing for humanitarian cases

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The Hamas-run Ministry of the Interior in the Gaza Strip on Saturday sent an urgent request to the Egyptian authorities to open the Rafah crossing and allow humanitarian cases to exit the beleaguered coastal enclave.

Iyad al-Buzm, a spokesperson for the ministry, said in a statement that conditions in Gaza represent a "humanitarian catastrophe," with up to 20,000 humanitarian cases and thousands of other Palestinians waiting to leave the territory.

He warned that the continued closure of the border crossing into Egypt threatens the lives of hundreds of patients with cancer and heart and lung-related illnesses, who are in urgent need of operations.

He said that it also threatens the future of thousands of students and holders of foreign passports.

Al-Buzm said that the Egyptian authorities have only opened the Rafah crossing for 15 days since the beginning of this year. more

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