“How I miss my children and how I long to take them in my arms. I fear that I will die before I am able to give them a goodbye kiss” these were the last painful words of Tagrid Muhamad Abed who died at the Rafah border crossing.
Tagrid was returning to Gaza from a medical treatment trip and she got stranded at the Rafah border crossing along with thousands of Palestinians many of them like Tagrid are patients who returning after medical treatment abroad.
Tagrid who suffered from cancer was living her final days as she has entered a critical stage of her illness and her only wish was to see her children and hug them before she passes away and it would have been possible had the Rafah border crossing been opened to let stranded Palestinians into the Gaza Strip.
Tagrid died without fulfilling her wish yet even after she died her body was not allowed home for a number of days.
The final days
“You have left a big gap in our lives after you left” said Khaled Tagrid’s husband speaking of his agony and the agony of their five children who were desperately waiting for their mother’s return. He explained how “despite her critical Illness she was left to die mercilessly at the borders”.
“Oh Tagrid even your critical illness was not enough to get you through the borders” said Khaled unable to stop his tears streaming down he murmured: “We have no one but Allah almighty to depend on and He is our protector our children have been denied their right to a last tender touch from their mother”.
Khaled added: “Tagrid was suffering from cancer and I tried several times to get special permit from the Israeli occupation to enter the green line to get her treated in Israeli hospitals but time was passing and her situation was deteriorating so we sought treatment in Egypt”.
Trying to pull himself together Khaled continues: “When the border crossing opened about a month ago my wife accompanied by her mother and brother went to Egypt. After diagnosing her the doctors advised them to go back to Gaza and stay with her family for it was too late to do anything for her”.
“We spoke on the phone and I could feel the pain and anguish she was going through and she kept on repeating: all I want is to see my children I fear that I might die before seeing them.” Unable to hold back the tears Khaled continues: “I tried to comfort her.. but the fact is she died before saying goodbye to the children and we are left with only her memory to cherish”.
Stranded for more than 20 days
Tagrid spent the last days of her life stranded at the Egyptian side of the borders for more than 20 days. The place was overcrowded with thousands of Palestinian citizens stranded at the borders. This contributed to the deterioration in her health.
Khaled expressed his anger that despite the fact that his wife was dying she could not get a special permit to cross into Gaza and all she got was false promises from the occupation authorities “they have no mercy even after she died her corpse was not kept in a cold room.”
Khaled was at last able to receive permission to allow his wife’s remains to enter Rafah but only her mother was allowed to accompany it. Thus her brother was not allowed to attend his sister’s funeral.
Tagrid Muhamad Abed died on the first of July bringing the number of Palestinians who died at the border to six and all as the result of illness. Other sources speak of larger number.
A difficult situation that is worsening
Tagrid is not the only citizen that died at the Rafah borders. “On both sides of the borders there are tens of sick people all trying to seek treatment” said Mutasam Arafat one of the Palestinian citizens stuck at the border adding: “The situation of these Palestinians is just worsening. They are mostly people who want to cross the borders either for treatment or to go to school”. Arafat estimates that there are around 6 thousand people stuck at the borders and going through very difficult circumstances. Most of those at the border have spent all the money they have and some have even started to sell their clothes. Whereas others sought shelter at the mosques or with friends and relatives.
Arafat calls on the concerned officials to exert all efforts to end the suffering of those stuck at the border.
The Head of Almizan Center for Human Rights ‘Issam Younis’ said that what happened to Tagrid Abed and other similar stories all go against International Law and as a result of border closure which have not taken into consideration the humanitarian needs of the sick and elderly. Younis warned of a humanitarian crisis that is bound to take place if the Rafah border crossing remains closed explaining that: “The Rafah border crossing is the only ‘vein’ for the Gaza Strip with the outside world and that it is important for those concerned to understand that the citizens of Gaza do not cross the borders for tourism. In fact most of them cross it to receive medication because Gaza lacks the needed medical facilitations for critical illness such as cancer.
Why are we denied basic rights?
After a long pose Khaled went back to asking the same question: “Why are we denied basic rights? Even the fact that she was dying and only wished to see her children was not enough to get her a special permit to cross the borders”.
As for the children the father is finding it difficult to explain to them that they will not see their mother again. She promised her children that she will only be away for a short time and when she got stuck at the border crossing she promised them to return as soon as the crossing is opened the father is finding it very to difficult to explain to the children that it was not through a fault of her own that she could not fulfill her promise.
