Sick and wounded patients in Gaza desperate for medical evacuation await the promised reopening of the enclave's Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Among them is Rimas Abu Lehia, a 15-year-old Palestinian girl whose left knee was shattered by a bullet. She needs joint replacement surgery to walk again. Israel has restricted medical evacuations since the October 2023 start of the war with Hamas. Over 20,000 patients, including many children, need urgent care available only outside Gaza. Rafah's reopening is a key step under the nearly 4-month-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Israel says the crossing will open in both directions on Sunday.
