Israeli army prevents Palestinian patients from crossing to Israel for treatment

Tuesday March 06, 2007 12:10 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli army prevented Palestinian patients from crossing to Israeli in order to get medical treatment in hospitals on Tuesday.

Dr. Moawiya Hasanain, the director of the emergency and ambulance department in the ministry of Health in Gaza stated that Israeli soldiers stationed at Beit Hanoun terminal in the northern part of the Gaza strip refused to allow a number of Palestinian civilians with severe medical problems cross to Israeli for treatment.

Dr. Hasanain said that among those patients were two children that had all the papers needed including a security clearance. However, soldiers detained the ambulances they were traveling in for at least 3 hours, and then forced them to go back to the Gaza strip.

Ihassan Abu Mo'amer, 15, who suffers from brain damage, and Du'a Al Zubdah, 6 months old and in a stat of intensive care, need medical help in an Israeli hospital due to the lack of facilities and correct medicine in the Gaza strip, Dr. Hasanain added.

Dr. Hasanain concluded by asking international and Israeli human rights groups to intervene to help in this situation.

beit hanoun | human rights | news report ghassanb at imemc dot org