A Palestinian human rights center said on Monday that there is an increase in the number of fatalities among the Gazan patients who are banned from travelling to receive medical treatment in the hospitals of the West Bank Jerusalem and the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories.
Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights highlighted in a statement an increase in the number of the Gazan patients whose exit permits which allow them to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing were rejected by Israel since the beginning of 2016. The statement added that cancer patients represent from 50% to 60% of those patients.
The Center pointed out that the Coordination and Liaison Department at the Ministry of Health filed in 2015 21873 requests to the Israeli authorities to issue these permits and provide the required approvals. The Israeli authorities approved 16988 requests which represent 77.66% and rejected 1244 requests while the remaining requests remained unanswered.
The Department applied for 26277 permits in 2016 the center added. 16289 of the requests representing 61% were approved 1725 were rejected and the other requests remained under consideration.
The Center pointed to a noticeable decrease in the approved requests during December 2016 which amounted to 40%.
The human rights center documented the death of Ahmad Shubeir 17 a resident of al-Nasr neighborhood in Gaza City on 14th January 2017 after the Israeli authorities prevented him from travelling for medical treatment.
Quoting Ahmad’s father al-Mezan center said that Ahmad had been suffering since his birth from congenital heart defects and his mother had accompanied him several times to the hospitals of the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories through Beit Hanoun crossing.
The father said “After my son made considerable progress in his therapy which started from birth the Israeli authorities prevented him from completing his treatment.” He added that the family received no response to the permit application they filed in February 2016 and the Israeli authorities summoned the mother for a security interview at the crossing and asked her to cooperate with them in return for allowing her son to travel.
He continued “My wife refused to cooperate with the Israeli authorities and after long hours of waiting they let her and our child in.” On 10th September and 10th October 2016 the family applied for two exit permits but received no response for any. On 3rd November 2016 they received a rejection for the third request.
He added that the Israeli intelligence also summoned his child for an interview at Beit Hanoun crossing and blackmailed him to cooperate with them to get the permit to pass. The father affirmed that his son refused the offer and as a result he was denied travel. Shubeir who got a permit to pass on 30th January 2017 died after his health condition deteriorated.
Al-Mezan center expressed concern over the escalating Israeli violations against the Palestinian patients which deny them access to hospitals and deprive them of their right of health care. It called for the formation of an impartial investigation committee to thoroughly examine and expose the crime Israel committed against the child Shubeir and other similar crimes.
The Center called on the international community to act urgently to stop the ongoing Israeli violations and work to lift the blockade immediately.
It also called for more campaigns and pressures on the local regional and international levels to expose the Israeli occupation’s practices.
