Overview
- Palestinian health officials report at least 18 people killed in new Israeli attacks, while the army says it struck after gunfire wounded a soldier near the northern buffer line.
- Palestinian sources say patient transfers through Rafah were halted after two days, but Israel’s COGAT says the crossing remains open and cited missing WHO coordination details.
- The World Health Organization says about 18,500 patients, including thousands of children, still await evacuation from Gaza for treatment unavailable inside the enclave.
- Initial evacuations have begun, with the WHO reporting five critically ill patients moved and NGOs assisting under difficult conditions and lengthy border procedures.
- Movement is capped and tightly vetted, with reports of daily limits of 150 departures and 50 entries plus Egyptian name lists and Israeli security approvals, as Israel orders MSF to leave Gaza by Feb. 28 over a registration dispute.