PHR Report: `“Disengagement Plan and its consequences on the Right to Health in the Gaza Strip`

Physicians For Human Rights published a report on the implications of the unilateral pullout, and military closure, on the lives of the Palestinian residents in the Gaza Strip

“This report is intended is to bring about a discussion of the implications of the one-sided Disengagement Plan on the lives of the inhabitants of Gaza, particularly from the point of view of their right to health”, the PHR reported.

Closure imposed over the Palestinian territories is barring the residents of the Gaza Strip from receiving the needed medical treatment in Israel, or in the west Bank and Jerusalem, especially since the borders in Gaza are still closed.

“16 Palestinian children are receiving chemical treatment for cancer, they have been barred over the last two weeks from entering Israel”, the PHR reported, “Israel only allowed 6 or 7 residents out of 40 to enter Israel for treatment”.

Child Abdullah Sufian Abu Hihjla, 7, suffers cancer in his lung and receives chemical treatment at Tal Hashomer Israeli Hospital in Tel Aviv, and needs surgery.

“He received four sessions of chemical treatment, the doctors told us that he needs six sessions, but the army is giving us a new permit to enter Israel after the first one expired”, Sufian, the father of the child said, “We applied for permits, several times, my son needs the sessions since they are timed and crucial to his health condition”. 

Field coordinator of the Physicians For Human Rights Organization, Ibrahim Habib, reported that there are hundreds of residents in urgent need for medical treatment in Israel or abroad.

“The Israeli authorities are not cooperating with us”, Habib said, “We are talking here about urgent cases, about life-threatening diseases”.

“Every day, 50 patients need to leave Gaza for medical treatment in Israel”, Habib added, “Some residents appealed specialized organizations to help them, others do not know what to do”.

 

Also, the report revealed that the Israeli authorities are totally barring the sick residents from entering Israel for medication if any member of their families was killed or imprisoned.

Moreover, 50 to 60 residents used to head to Egyptian Hospitals in daily basis, but after the borders were closed, no one was able to leave, except those who left the Gaza Strip after Israel opened the Rafah terminal for one day.

“In spite that military occupation over the Gaza Strip is over, Israel is still controlling the crossings and the movements of the residents”, the PHR reported.