Israel Denies Hamas Officials Exit for Family Over Patients

Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) revealed that three senior Hamas officials, including Mahmoud al-Zahar, attempted to exploit the Rafah border crossing exit mechanism for their relatives, prioritizing them over critically ill patients. Their requests were immediately denied.

COGAT directly addressed Gaza residents in Arabic, aiming to refute Hamas's false claims that Israel obstructs medical treatment for Gazans. "Faced with a web of lies," COGAT stated, "it is time to present unequivocal facts."

Among the revelations, COGAT exposed that al-Zahar, along with Mohammed Lafi, a senior official in Hamas's Industry Ministry, and Jawad al-Farah, former chairman of a Hamas-affiliated emergency committee, tried to bypass the system and secure exits for their family members. COGAT emphasized that these attempts were made "like common thieves" and at the expense of Gazans genuinely in need of medical care.

COGAT further stated that numerous other Hamas members have also sought exit permits for their families and even themselves through Rafah. "Do not let Hamas's lies and manipulations confuse you: in 98% of cases, exit requests from the Strip are approved," COGAT stressed, highlighting the high approval rate for legitimate cases.