STORY: An empty bus departed from Gaza's Red Crescent hospital on Thursday (February 5), as evacuation plans for war-wounded patients continue to stall, leaving hopes for their urgent medical care abroad hanging in the balance.

Palestinian patients preparing to cross through the newly opened Rafah crossing to Egypt were told on Wednesday (February 4) that Israel had postponed the passage of patients through the border. Afterwards, Palestinian health authorities said that the group of patients was on their way to the border.

The Israeli agency that controls access to Gaza, COGAT, said the Rafah crossing remained open but it had not received the necessary details from the World Health Organization to facilitate crossings. The WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 24 Palestinians including seven children in Gaza on Wednesday, health officials said, the latest violence to undermine the nearly four-month-old ceasefire in the enclave.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: VIEW OF RED CRESCENT HOSPITAL IN KHAN YOUNIS / AMBULANCES, UNITED NATIONS VEHICLES AND BUS ENTERING HOSPITAL COMPOUND / CONVOY LEAVING

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

EDITORS NOTE: ADDING ONE MORE SENTENCE IN PARAGRAPH 2 IN SCRIPT TO INCLUDE STATEMENT FROM PALESTINIAN HEALTH AUTHORITIES THAT THE GROUP OF PATIENTS WAS ON THEIR WAY TO THE BORDER.

SHOWS: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (FEBRUARY 5, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. PEOPLE LOOKING THROUGH GATE OF RED CRESCENT HOSPITAL

2. EXTERIOR OF RED CRESCENT HOSPITAL

3. UNITED NATIONS VEHICLES ENTERING COMPOUND

4. BOYS LOOKING THROUGH GATE / PERSON IN WHEELCHAIR LOOKING ON INSIDE HOSPITAL COMPOUND

5. PEOPLE WALKING OUTSIDE HOSPITAL

6. BUS REVERSING INTO HOSPITAL COMPOUND

7. PERSON IN WHEELCHAIR SPEAKING WITH PERSONNEL NEAR AMBULANCE / BOYS LOOKING THROUGH GATE

8. AMBULANCES ENTERING COMPOUND

9. AMBULANCE PARKING INSIDE HOSPITAL COMPOUND

10. UNITED NATIONS VEHICLES, AMBULANCES, BUS LEAVING HOSPITAL

11. BUS WITH NO PASSENGERS LEAVING

12. CONVOY DRIVING ALONG STREET