Spokesperson of the Popular Committee Against the Siege in Gaza, Rami Abdo, stated on Tuesday that Dr. Abdul-Karim Hussein, 69, died of brain tumor after he was unable to leave the Gaza Strip for medical treatment abroad. Hussein, from Al Nusseirat refugee camp, was supposed to be transferred to a hospital abroad, but the Israeli authorities said that he can only be transferred on November this year. His health condition had sharply deteriorated and he died on Wednesday.
His son stated that he underwent surgery in Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza to remove the tumor but needed further medical attention and a potential surgery as the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip emptied the hospitals from the needed medications and medical equipment.
Abdo of Popular Committee stated that the death of Dr. Hussein raises the number of patients who died due to the ongoing siege to 160, including several children.
He added that that hundreds of patients are facing imminent death in Gaza as the Israeli authorities had rejected this year to grant 1285 patients permits to leave the Gaza Strip for medical treatment elsewhere.
Abdo also said that last year, Israel rejected more than 1627 requests to transfer patient out of the Gaza Strip, and in 2006 the Israeli Authorities rejected the transfer of 588 patients.
Abdo said that these practices and unjustified rejections are considered death sentences against the patients.
