International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

The closure of the Rafah Terminal



For the past 15 days, the border crossing point between Egypt and Gaza at Rafah Terminal (southern border of the Gaza Strip) has been predominantly closed; some openings of short duration have occurred. These closures have resulted in a mass of stranded populations on the Egyptian side, waiting for the re-opening of the borders. The average daily number of individuals stranded is approximately 2,500, comprised of : young children (30%), elderly, persons with chronic health conditions and disabled. Approximately 200 are chronically ill, and 40 have recently undergone surgical procedures in Egypt and are returning home. 

One thousand days, more than 3000 people killed

One thousand days of violence have killed just over 3,000 people (2,398 Palestinians and 704 Israelis) and left 28,000 injured (23,150 Palestinians and 4,849 Israelis) in Israel and the Palestinian Autonomous and Occupied Territories. This is the human toll since the second Intifada started on September 29, 2000, according to figures from the Palestine Red Crescent (PRCS) and Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s equivalent of a Red Cross or Red Crescent Society.