Fifteen-year-old Rafa al-Qudra lost her sight completely on Saturday while waiting for Israeli permission to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment. She now sits in a tent in al-Mawasi, pressing her eyes to block light she can no longer see.

Her father Rafat said her eye pressure had soared to 50 mmHg in her right eye and 35 mmHg in her left, far above the normal range of 12-20. She underwent multiple laser procedures and surgery, but the only available medication in Gaza expired in July.

The World Health Organization reports over 18,500 patients require medical evacuation from Gaza. The October ceasefire explicitly required resumption of evacuations, but Israel violated it by closing the Rafah crossing, allowing only limited movement.

Gaza's Health Ministry said 6-10 patients die daily waiting to travel abroad for treatment, with roughly 1,200 deaths since Israel seized the Rafah crossing in May 2024.

Five-year-old Fatima Saeed, born with a brain condition, has lost all ability to move and speak due to lack of care and medication. Her mother Wafaa described it as 'a sentence of helplessness imposed on a child who did nothing wrong.'

Ismail al-Aqqad, 40, cannot move his limbs or speak due to a degenerative neurological disease. His brother Khaled said the medication that slowed the disease has been unavailable since the crossings closed.

The WHO stated that 94% of Gaza's hospitals have been destroyed or damaged. International organizations accuse Israel of blocking humanitarian aid despite the ceasefire.

Source: www.aljazeera.com