Ismael Al-Fajen, a young Palestinian from Khan Yunis in Gaza, found it almost unbelievable that he escaped Israeli bombardment hitting his area.
He left Gaza after accompanying his injured nephew through the Rafah border, seeking refuge in Egypt’s Al-Arish, which welcomed injured Gazans on Wednesday morning.
Critical injuries suffered by his nephew, with shrapnel wounds to the head and back, gave him priority to be among the first batch of the injured who will continue their treatment in Egyptian hospitals.
This became necessary as the hospitals in Gaza struggled to stay operational due to the ongoing Israeli blockade, which hampers their access to fuel necessary for running operations.
The evacuation of the injured from Gaza to Al-Arish coincided with the evacuation of hundreds of foreign nationals with dual citizenship through the Rafah border.
Egypt allowed the passage of 46 wounded individuals, along with their companions, to the Egyptian side on Wednesday to provide them with medical care in hospitals in Al-Arish, Sheikh Zuwaid, and Bir al-Abd.
On Thursday morning, 73 aid trucks from the Egyptian side crossed over to the Ouga inspection point.
According to Egyptian officials, the Palestinian side has so far received 272 out of approximately 400 aid trucks. These trucks pass through the Ouga-Nitzana crossing for inspection before being allowed to enter Gaza.
With a composed tone masking his grief for those lost in his family, Al-Fajen shares the tragic tale of his nephew, who was with his father, mother, siblings, uncles, and cousins before a sudden bomb claimed the lives of everyone in the house, sparing only his.
“I rushed him to the Nasser Medical Complex, which is well-equipped but overwhelmed with daily cases beyond its capacity, so they couldn’t attend to my nephew,” Al-Fajen told Asharq Al-Awsat.
To avoid Israeli surprise bombings, Al-Fajen has been away from his home for 25 days, sleeping in open fields.
“Israel targeted 100 to 150 homes with civilians inside,” he noted.
Al-Fajen and others with injured Gazans say that Cairo has made it easier for them to enter Egypt. They don't need entry visas, and they can cross the border even without passports.
Egyptian authorities are only verifying the local identities and medical reports from Palestinian medical centers.
Tamer Adagmah, another Palestinian from Khan Yunis, was also impressed by the warm hospitality of the Sinai community in Egypt and the medical care provided at Al-Arish Hospital for his injured brother, Mamdouh Adagmah.
“The journey from the Rafah border to the hospital took less than half an hour, and everyone was very helpful in meeting our basic needs, which had a positive impact on my injured brother's state of mind,” Adagmah told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Adagmah’s brother, who works as a driver, was injured while trying to assist an injured person on the road. A missile struck him from behind, resulting in the amputation of his right leg, bone fractures, and severe back injuries.
Doctors at the Nasser Medical Complex were unable to find a viable solution for the severe leg injury.
Al-Arish Hospital, located about 45 kilometers from the Rafah border, is the primary referral hospital, equipped with intensive care facilities and complete surgical teams for treating severe injuries, including major burns.
As for Auda Al-Qabbani, another Palestinian casualty, has had a rocket shrapnel lodged in his body for about three weeks.
He was then transferred to Egypt for treatment, accompanied by his brother Dawood. Dawood praised the warm welcome and positive emotions shown by the Egyptians to the wounded and their companions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) affirmed that before 7 Oct., around 100 patients each day needed to access specialized health care services outside Gaza because of the lack of needed, specialized health services inside Gaza.
The Egyptian Ministry of Military Production has set up a field hospital to treat Palestinians injured in the Gaza conflict.
