As of Sunday, 2 November 2008, new Israeli army guidelines are in force, requiring Palestinian medical personnel from the West Bank who work in Jerusalem hospitals to come in only through the Qalandiya checkpoint in Ramallah. Medical personnel from the West Bank are prohibited from coming to work through other checkpoints, even if these are closer to where they live. Read more about New Israeli restrictions target Palestinian hospitals in Jerusalem
A new report by Physicians for Human Rights-Israel provides a detailed description of the permits mechanism instituted by Israel and of the growing restrictions placed by this mechanism on the access of patients to medical care unavailable in Gaza. The report describes how patients’ access to medical care is conditioned on their collaboration with Israeli intelligence. Read more about Report: Israel coerces medical patients into collaboration
Mohammed al-Hurani, a 33-year-old resident of Gaza, died 30 April 2008 of cancer while waiting for a reply from the Israel General Security Service to a request from Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. Although al-Hurani was in a grave condition, confined to a bed in hospital, the GSS demanded that the patient come for security questioning at Erez Crossing on 27 April. Read more about Gaza resident dies awaiting permission for cancer treatment
Access-related deaths of patients referred to medical care outside Gaza are hard to determine with statistical certainty. Since several factors are involved, it is very difficult to define how far the delay or denial of a permit has influenced the final outcome in each case. The fact that in Gaza the delay has nothing to do with medical constraints of any kind, but with external reasons, makes the violation all the more serious and raises questions regarding the definition of the term “security” in the Israeli Secret Police lexicon. Read more about Four deaths: whose security?
Israeli military forces commenced widespread operations against Gaza on 27 February 2008, following the death of an Israeli civilian in a college campus in the south of Israel, and damage caused by a Qassam rocket to a hospital campus in the town of Ashqelon. As a result of these operations 101 Palestinians (according to Palestinian counts), the majority of whom were civilians, have been killed. Read more about Medical group warns Gaza health system on brink of collapse
A delegation of four Israeli members of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-Israel), including three doctors and PHR-Israel’s Clinic Manager, entered Gaza this morning. At the same time, an emergency dispatch of medical supplies at a value of approximately US $40,000 was delivered by PHR-Israel into Gaza, for the purpose of distribution to al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City and the European Hospital in Khan Younis, both of which are suffering from severe shortages. Read more about Only pressure will lift Gaza medical siege
Y.A.H is a 37-year-old heart patient in need of open heart surgery. He was referred to a hospital in Nablus, the West Bank, for surgery. He previously received a permit but was asked by the Israeli General Security Services (Shabak) to provide information on friends of his brother. When he failed to he was returned to Gaza and told “go die in Gaza.” Since then he has no permit. His condition is deteriorating and he is very weak, with breathing difficulties, and is in danger of sudden death at any moment. Read more about Israel to heart patient: "Go die in Gaza"
Barely two weeks since extensive media attention successfully compelled Israel to allow access to lifesaving care for patients through Erez Crossing, Israeli policies at the crossing lead to a repetition of a similar crisis: Sixteen patients in life-endangering condition stranded in Gaza without proper care due to “security prohibitions”; permit-bearing cancer patient detained a full day at Erez Crossing and ordered to return; two permit-bearing patients die within one week at Erez Crossing; Erez Crossing closed again since 28 October 2007. Read more about Patients dying at closed Erez checkpoint
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel decries the collective punishment that Israel is inflicting on the civilian punishment in the Gaza Strip � this kind of punishment is forbidden by International Law and by all reasonable moral standards. Over the past week, Israel has been attacking the civilian population of the Gaza Strip, using means that are in direct violation of international conventions that call to avoid indiscriminate harm to civilians. Moreover, Israel is committed under international law to actively protecting residents of the Gaza Strip from implications of the war and separating civilians and those involved in the fighting. Read more about Stop Collective Punishment in Gaza
22 September 2005, 13:30 — Israel Prison Service (IPS) relieved itself of responsibility for the health care of Palestinian prisoners in its custody and discriminates between them and other prisoners. According to the Israeli law, any prisoner held in Israel is eligible for medical care and the Israeli Prison Service must cover the cost. The IPS’s claim that the law is only for citizens is wrong (it applies to all residents) and is irrelevant, as the prisoners under its custody do not receive their medical care due to this law, but rather as per the IPS Commissionership’s Order. Read more about Palestinian Prisoners must pay for Health