GAZA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israel canceled the travel of the third batch of patients from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, which reopened two days ago, a Palestinian official said on Wednesday.

Ambulances wait on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip on February 4, 2026, days after Israel permitted a limited reopening of the Palestinian territory's border post. (File photo: AFP)

Raed Al-Nams, spokesman for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), told Xinhua that relevant authorities informed the society that Israel had decided to cancel the departure of the third group of patients scheduled to travel through the Rafah crossing on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a body under Israel's Defense Ministry, said on social media on Wednesday that "contrary to reports in the Gazan media, the Rafah Crossing has opened this morning as usual, in accordance with the agreement and Israel's commitment."

"The World Health Organization (WHO), which is responsible for coordinating the arrival of residents from the Gaza Strip to the Rafah Crossing, has not submitted the required coordination details at this stage for procedural reasons," it said, adding that once the coordination details are submitted, the transfer of patients and their companions via the Rafah crossing would be facilitated.

In coordination with the WHO, a total of 21 patients were evacuated through the Rafah crossing over the past two days, said Al-Nams.

He warned of a shocking gap between the number of evacuees and the actual level of need, saying that more than 20,000 people require immediate travel abroad for medical treatment.

The Rafah border crossing on the Palestinian side reopened on Monday, following a trial phase on Sunday, as part of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Israel took control of the Rafah crossing following its offensive on the city of Rafah in May 2024 during the war on Gaza, isolating the enclave from the outside world and exacerbating its humanitarian crisis.

Rafah crossing is Gaza's main lifeline and was used before the war for the movement of people and commercial activities.