Despite reports of increased movement through the Kerem Shalom crossing, according to a source familiar with the issue who talked to The Times of Israel, and public announcements by foreign countries and humanitarian organizations, only about 600 people have left the Gaza Strip in the past two months, since the collapse of the most recent ceasefire.....
Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the body under the Defense Ministry responsible for coordinating the movement of Gaza residents, has maintained that the only criteria for exiting Gaza — both before and throughout the war — are severe illness or injury, or foreign citizenship. In all cases, residents cannot apply directly to COGAT; an international organization must submit the request on their behalf.
It is notable that many countries accepting patients from Gaza during the war, including the UAE and various European states, have clarified that these are temporary stays for medical treatment and that the individuals are expected to return afterward......
According to a source familiar with the issue who spoke with The Times of Israel, 10 Gazans with foreign citizenship left the strip between August 2024 and February 2025 by crossing through Israel into Jordan....
In total, at least 284 people are confirmed to have left Gaza for foreign destinations. The exact number is unknown, but given the significant restrictions imposed by foreign governments and Israel, it is unlikely to be much higher.....
The World Health Organization estimated in early March that between 11,000 and 13,000 people in Gaza still required urgent evacuation for medical treatment — a figure released before the current round of hostilities resumed nearly two months ago.
