Director of the ambulance and emergency department in the Palestinian ministry of health, Dr Mu'awiya Hassanein, on Saturday announced the deaths of 28 Palestinians who had been trapped at Rafah Crossing, between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, since the 1st of June.

Eight Palestinians have been killed during separate Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip today, deepening fears that Israel is planning a larger-scale offensive in Gaza following Hamas' recent takeover of the Strip. The aftermath of this takeover has seen the sealing off of Gaza's borders by Israel, causing a humanitarian crisis and impending economic meltdown.

A Palestinian woman suffering from cancer died at the Rafah Crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Sunday following a severe deterioration in her health status after waiting for the crossing to open for 20 days, in what Palestinian National Initiative head, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi MP, said was yet one more tragic reminder of the ongoing, acute humanitarian crisis in the Strip.