Khan Younis, Gaza – Headlines report Israel is finally reopening Rafah Crossing Between Gaza and Egypt, injured Palestinians in urgent need of medical assistance were allowed to leave.

However, the reality is that on Monday, the first day of opening, Israel allowed only five patients to leave Gaza through the crossing, forcing hundreds if not thousands to wait.

Muhammad Abu Mustafa was one of the lucky five. On Monday, the 17-year-old traveled to Khan Younis in southern Gaza with his mother, Randa, and then to Rafah. Rafah was closed by Israel for two years because of its genocidal war against Gaza, which killed more than 70,000 Palestinians.

Landa told Al Jazeera that she received a call on Monday morning informing her that Mohammed had been included in the first list of injured people scheduled to travel, and instructed them to go immediately to the Red Crescent hospital in Khan Younis.

The reopening of Rafah, Gaza’s only land crossing that does not go through Israel, has been seen as evidence of progress in the second phase of the U.S.-backed Gaza “ceasefire” agreement.

But Monday’s events revealed a different reality, characterized by tight security restrictions, complex procedures and limited numbers of people allowed to cross, well below expectations and the scale of Gaza’s accumulated humanitarian needs.

According to information provided by Gaza health authorities, the five patients allowed to leave under Israeli orders were each accompanied by two people, bringing the total number of travelers to 15.

Mohammad Abu Salmiya, director of Gaza’s al-Shifa medical center, told Al Jazeera that this was the only group to leave, although the World Health Organization (WHO), which coordinates between Egypt and Israel, had planned in advance to allow 50 patients to leave each day.

Official Egyptian sources told Al Jazeera that 50 Palestinians were also allowed to return to Gaza through the Rafah crossing, but there was no information yet on whether they had actually reached the Palestinian side.

Ismail Tawabta, director of the Gaza government’s media office, stressed how low the number was compared to the approximately 22,000 people who need to leave Gaza to receive treatment abroad. At the same time, he said some 80,000 Palestinians who left Gaza during the war wanted to return.

eye injury

A year and a half ago, Mohammed was injured in an Israeli airstrike near where his family was displaced in Mawasi, Landa said. His eyes were directly injured, severely affecting his optic nerve and vision.

“My son has been in great pain since his injury. Day after day, his condition keeps getting worse and there is no treatment in Gaza,” Landa said as she waited in the hospital courtyard with other patients and their relatives.

Although Landa was happy to finally be able to accompany her son on the journey, she was distressed at having to leave four of her six children behind, as she was only allowed to take one child with her as a second companion.

“What’s important to me right now is that my son regains his sight and can see with his own eyes again. That’s my only concern right now,” Landa said.

“I also hope that my son will be able to return to Gaza as soon as possible after his recovery, that the blockade will be lifted and that all patients will be able to travel like my son.”

Israeli restrictions

In the courtyard of the Red Crescent hospital, dozens of patients on travel waiting lists expressed frustration at the first-day restrictions at Rafah Hospital.

Several patients, including amputees, gathered at the hospital hoping to be allowed to travel to Egypt for treatment.

Despite the early morning arrival of patients and their families with high hopes, Israeli authorities refused to allow more than five patients to leave, leading to widespread dissatisfaction with the complex mechanism surrounding the partial reopening of the crossing.

The multi-stage security process for Palestinians through the Rafah crossing begins with the preparation of daily travel candidate lists, which are then submitted to the Israeli side for pre-travel security checks.

No one is allowed to pass through or enter the crossing without the express approval of Israel. The EU Border Assistance Mission deployed to Rafah is limited to monitoring processes and verifying identities.

After an initial identity verification at a European-supervised crossing, persons arriving in Gaza are subject to additional screening procedures at checkpoints located in areas under Israeli military control.

Gaza Red Crescent head of media Raad Nims told Al Jazeera that the organization was still waiting for updates on moving more patients through the crossing for treatment.

He added that a group of patients was successfully transferred to Israel through the Kerem Abu Salem crossing on Monday in coordination with the World Health Organization.

urgent need

Ibrahim Abu Suraya was also one of five patients allowed to leave Gaza on Monday.

Ibrahim was injured in the early months of the war, resulting in the amputation of his left hand and a wound to his left eye, which still contains shrapnel.

“Day after day, the condition of my eyes keeps getting worse and I feel severe pain, especially because shrapnel is lodged behind my eyes, and Gaza does not have the medical capacity to deal with it,” he said in Khan Younis before traveling to Rafah. “The doctor told me I needed to travel abroad.”

On Monday morning, the World Health Organization and the Gaza Ministry of Health informed Ibrahim that he had been cleared to travel. He was accompanied by his wife Samar and their son.

“I have suffered for two full years just to be able to leave here for treatment, and there are thousands more injured like me,” he said. “I hope this crossing can be opened permanently.”