Two-year-old Umama was born with a serious heart problem. Her doctor says she needs urgent surgery, but it can only be done outside Gaza, where more than two years of war have decimated the health system. Medical evacuations could be extended to Umama and others with the reopening of the border crossing with Egypt expected soon. The Rafah crossing, once a major transit point, has been largely closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024. Israel agreed to reopen it under a cease-fire deal with Hamas in October, but has delayed that until the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza are returned. Even people with emergencies, including some of the war wounded, have not been able to leave for months. Mohammed al-Ser suffered a severe head injury in June that left him partially paralyzed. Shortly after this interview, he underwent skull surgery, but doctors say he needs care outside of Gaza to make a full recovery. Since the closure of Rafah, Israel has allowed a limited number of medical evacuations via other routes, but the numbers are far from the 20,000 who need treatment abroad, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Local health officials say hundreds have died waiting. Twelve-year-old Sami Saad suffers from acute liver failure. His doctor said that adequate testing and diagnosis for him is not available in Gaza. Israeli authorities said the reopening of Rafah would allow what they described as limited movement of people. It remains unclear which evacuees will be prioritized. For now, all anyone can do is hope.