Report:

Only A Third of Those Injured in Gaza Rallies Allowed to Leave for Treatment Elsewhere

Rasa - Out of 40 Palestinians who were injured by Israeli army gunfire since late March and who applied for an Israeli permit to leave the besieged Gaza Strip for treatment in West Bank or East Jerusalem hospitals only 13, or 32.5 percent, were approved, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

News ID: 437959

Date: 30 May 2018 - 19:12

RNA - “Since the beginning of the Great March of Return in 30th March until 20th April 2018, 40 patients injured during demonstrations submitted applications to exit Gaza to Israeli authorities. Of the 40 patients, 13 (32.5%) were approved, 21 (52.5%) were denied and 6 (15%) were pending,” it said, WAFA reported.

“The approval rate for patients injured in demonstrations (32.5%) is significantly lower than the overall approval rate for the first quarter of 2018 (60%). Similarly, the rate of denial for those injured in demonstrations (52.5%) is significantly higher than the overall rate of denial for the first quarter (8%),” it added.

Out of the 40, 30 (75%) had initial appointments at hospitals in the West Bank and 10 (25%) had initial appointments in East Jerusalem. Two of the referred patients died: one after referral out of Gaza and one in Gaza after being denied a permit to exit. Eleven of the referred patients had amputations, 8 of whom denied access and 3 of whom were approved, according to the report.

Prior to April 15, none of those injured in the Great March of Return had been granted permits to leave Gaza through Erez/Beit Hanoun crossing for health care. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights and Adalah launched a successful appeal for these patients to the Israeli Supreme Court.

Since the start of protests in the Gaza Strip, some 120 Palestinian demonstrators have been killed and at least 13,000 injured along the fence in Gaza.

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