Patient no. 167 dies in Gaza due to the Israeli blockade

Tuesday May 27, 2008 12:33 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies

One more Palestinian patient died on Tuesday after having been denied access treatment outside of the Gaza Strip, raising the death toll of such patients to 167.

The spokesman of the Popular Committee for breaking up the siege, Rami Abdo, declared today that Mohammad Alimawi, 22, of the eastern Gaza city neighborhood of Shiejaiya, died of a chronic disease at a Gaza hospital.

Abdo explained that this latest dead patient had received treatment for a 'blood cancer' at an Israeli hospital several months ago and that he needed regular check ups, however he was unable to go back to where he was first hospitalized.

Alimawi was supposed to head a couple of days ago to Israel, yet his access was delayed by the Israeli army, causing him severe bleeding, until he died at the Gaza hospital of Alshifa on Tuesday.

Earlier, Abdo announced the death of an infant, after his access to medical care outside the coastal region was delayed because of the Israeli blockade.

On Monday night two 10 days old twin-sisters died in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. Doctors say the twin needed medicine that is not available in Gaza due to the Israeli siege, in addition both were not allowed to leave Gaza by the army to get the life saving medical care they needed, doctors added.

Israeli has placed the Gaza Strip under total siege 11 months ago, leaving the 1.5 million Palestinians, living in the coastal enclave, lacking medicine, food, water, and fuel.

Sources at the Hamas-run government in Gaza said today that the Israeli authorities allowed entry of 12 patients into Israel, after Israel had ordered the closure of the Eritz crossing in northern Gaza in the wake of last week's failed cross-border attack on the crossing.

gaza strip | miscellaneous | news report rami at imemc dot org