No indication Israel will open Rafah crossing soon: Palestine's Health minister

GENEVA: There is no indication that Israel will open the Rafah crossing soon, Palestine's Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan said here.

"This is totally in the hands of the Israelis," Abu Ramadan told a press briefing in Geneva on Wednesday.

Israel launched a ground assault on Rafah on May 6 and claimed to have taken control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, which is the only border crossing between the enclave and Egypt, Xinhua news agency reported.

The crossing is also a main conduit for humanitarian aid entering Gaza, and an exit point for medical evacuees from the enclave.

Abu Ramadan said that Israel committed a crime against humanity in Gaza, regardless of the exact death toll.

"What matters is that there is a crime against humanity. With one or a million (dead), that doesn't change the situation," he added.

"At the moment, people are deprived of almost all aspects of health services."

The closure of the Rafah crossing has aggravated the humanitarian crisis, he said.

"This is complicating the picture," Abu Ramadan added.

The closure of Rafah crossing cut the access for patients in Gaza to get health services, he said.

Those who cannot be treated in Gaza are forbidden from going to Egypt and somewhere else for the treatment they need, Abu Ramadan added.

"This is only a part of the situation."