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A Palestinian woman sitting next to her sick daughter at the al-Nasser hospital for children in Gaza, on January 21. (Reuters)
Last update - 22:28 01/04/2008
WHO: Israel turning away sick Gazans, who die in 'avoidable tragedies'
By News Agencies
Tags: Israel 

Israel has turned away more sick Palestinians from Gaza seeking treatment since Hamas seized control of the coastal strip and several have died each month unnecessarily, a United Nations agency said on Tuesday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Israel denied entry permits to 18.5 percent of patients seeking to leave the Gaza Strip in 2007 versus 10 percent in 2006.

In absolute terms, however, the number of patients from Gaza who were treated in Israel substantially increased, rising from nearly 5,000 in 2006 to 7,000 in 2007.
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1,627 Gazan patients saw their requests denied in 2007, as opposed to the aproximate 470 who were denied treatment in 2006, according to WHO figures.

The WHO said the number of applicants and the percentage of those turned away surged after Hamas Islamists seized control of Gaza in June, the crossing to Egypt was closed and Israel tightened restrictions on the territory.

Israel could not provide figures for how many sick Gazans were granted travel permits last year. A senior defence official denied the system caused unnecessary death, but said Israel was wary of would-be suicide bombers using illness as a cover.

Israel last year imposed a blockade on Gaza in response to cross-border rocket fire by militants. International organizations have condemned the measure as collective punishment.

"Even under fire and under threat we still coordinate the health needs of Gaza's population," said Colonel Nir Press, head of Israel's Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza.

Shortages of medicine, equipment and trained medics, which local officials blame on Israeli restrictions, mean advanced health care is virtually non-existent in the Gaza Strip.

Thousands of Gazans have been treated over the years in Israel.

The WHO said 32 Gazans died between October 1 and March 2 while waiting for travel permits.

It could not provide comparative figures and said it was hard to measure whether faster treatment would have saved them, characterizing many of the deaths as unnecessary.

"All these tragedies could have been easily avoided," WHO's head of office for the West Bank and Gaza, Ambrogio Manenti, told a news conference. Palestinian medical officials in Gaza say more than 100 Gaza patients have died since June after being denied permits.

Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip in 2005 but effectively still controls its borders, in cooperation with Egypt, which administers the Sinai-Gaza border.

Egypt has allowed some Gazans in for treatment, but has agreed with Israel to keep its border largely closed.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson's Office released a statement detailing the humanitarian aid and supplies transferred to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Approximately 138 trucks brought foodstuffs such as meat, wheat and sugar, as well as cleaning products and school books to the coastal strip.



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      1.   ha 18:13  |  Esteban 01/04/08
      2.   The Obvious 18:32  |  Ron 01/04/08
      3.   So do Israelis on this side of the Gaza border. Stop the rockets 18:32  |  Man deVoshkes 01/04/08
      4.   Why rely on Israel? 19:00  |  ecr 01/04/08
      5.   Israel is not required to treat ANY Gazans 19:03  |  Gee 01/04/08
      6.   so what? 19:04  |  Marcelo 01/04/08
      7.   Collective Punishment 19:08  |  Avrum 01/04/08
      8.   UN agency ignorse healthy Israelis die in `avoidable tragedies` 19:12  |  Joe Sittizen 01/04/08
      9.   All you need to know about Israel 19:18  |  Joe 01/04/08
      10.   Pottery Barn rules-whether you like it or not 19:23  |  Aphemia 01/04/08
      11.   Passover coming 19:38  |  Edifice 01/04/08
      12.   Joe and Aphemia 19:39  |  Alain 01/04/08
      13.   WHO = UN = FRAUD 19:48  |  Shloimele 01/04/08
      14.   Tough luck, build your own hospitals. Your big boys now. 19:55  |  Jew 01/04/08
      15.   If true that is indeed disappointing, BUT...... 20:07  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/04/08
      16.   "Israel could not provide figures..."?? 20:07  |  ZADOK 01/04/08
      17.   Racist Society 20:08  |  Mani Seo 01/04/08
      18.   #9 Joe 20:08  |  Chris 01/04/08
      19.   IDF Rejjects UN Report 20:09  |  Harvey 01/04/08
      20.   excact numbers 20:14  |  dawn 01/04/08
      21.   Aphemia #10 You`re wrong 20:23  |  Gee 01/04/08
      22.   #9 Joe 20:25  |  Enlightened Zionist 01/04/08
      23.   #9 Joe 20:25  |  Enlightened Zionist 01/04/08
      24.   Aphemia, one does not behave like an elephant in a pottery barn, 20:28  |  Enlightened Zionist 01/04/08
      25.   Aphemia, one does not behave like an elephant in a pottery barn, 20:28  |  Enlightened Zionist 01/04/08
      26.   Other countries wouldn`t let a single person in 20:29  |  Gili 01/04/08
      27.   israel don`t own the gazens a damn thing,if the gazens are so 20:31  |  terrornator 01/04/08
      28.   #9 Joe, do you ever ask yourself.... 20:40  |  DR 01/04/08
      29.   joe #9 one more thing we know,99% of pal attacks against jews are 20:40  |  terrornator 01/04/08
      30.   Gazan fire on Israel so why help them 20:41  |  Farancawy 01/04/08
      31.   #17 20:43  |  kokingaye 01/04/08
      32.   WHO and Sick Gazans 20:43  |  Gabriel 01/04/08
      33.   GOOD IS IRRAELI JEWS 20:46  |  CHOSEN WORLD 01/04/08
      34.   ## Haaretz lies ## Here are the figures 20:52  |  Moises 01/04/08
      35.   The hate 20:52  |  Sam 01/04/08
      36.   Joe #9 -Stop and think 20:53  |  Elihu 01/04/08
      37.   #9 20:54  |  kokingaye 01/04/08
      38.   Gazans the WHO refers to were treated in Israel or grated permits 20:57  |  JP 01/04/08
      39.   Blame Hamas and not Israel 20:59  |  The Equalizer 01/04/08
      40.   Israel did receive 82.5% of patients! 21:21  |  Don 01/04/08
      41.   WHY ARE THEY CRYING NOW 21:36  |  TOBIA 01/04/08
      42.   There are more stones walking than laying around in Israel 21:40  |  Kris Lazar 01/04/08
      43.   #22#30 and the rest of the enlightened zionists 21:43  |  Joe 01/04/08
      44.   We don`t owe the Gazans a damned thing 21:50  |  Yonatan 01/04/08
      45.   WHO contradicts itself 21:53  |  Lynn 01/04/08
      46.   #22#30 and the rest of the enlightened zionists 22:03  |  Joe 01/04/08
      47.   So predictable 22:22  |  Natallie Durson 01/04/08
      48.   FIND OUT WHY...End Freedom of Speech at the UN 22:23  |  David 01/04/08
      49.   Millions spent on arms could be used for hospitals and staff 22:26  |  Aaron 01/04/08
      50.   Super yawn ! why must we care for people devoted to kill us ????? 22:26  |  trumpeldor 01/04/08
      51.   #36 Elihu 22:34  |  Joe 01/04/08
      52.   Why don`t 22 HUGE Arab countries with ENORMOUS OIL WEALTH help? 22:47  |  Linda Rivera 01/04/08
      53.   #44 Lynn - "WHO doesn`t seem to know." 22:47  |  JP 01/04/08
      54.   ELECTED HAMAS MUST ANSWER FOR THIS 23:01  |  David P 01/04/08
      55.   Who Speaks From Both Sides Of Their Mouths 23:03  |  Eli 01/04/08
      56.   To Alain and EZ 23:04  |  Aphemia 01/04/08
      57.   From one Joe to the other Joe 23:08  |  Joe Sittizen 01/04/08
      58.   Joe the ignorant. 23:09  |  Leo 01/04/08
      59.   june 23, 2005 23:11  |  jehiel chaleff 01/04/08
      60.   If they can kill 23:12  |  Rav Harley 01/04/08
      61.   #46 Joe 23:14  |  Chris 01/04/08
      62.   Smuggle Medicines... not weapons 23:16  |  indrajaya 01/04/08
      63.   Haaretz _ Your Headline Would Have Read Better If You 23:16  |  Eli 01/04/08
      64.   #9 Joe Taqiyya! You Lie and DECEIVE 23:18  |  Linda Rivera 01/04/08
      65.   The WHO report is wrong 23:19  |  Softwalker 01/04/08
      66.   Reminds me of the Jewish Ghettos of Europe 23:19  |  European 01/04/08
      67.   # 48 JP ....Who? 23:20  |  Lynn 01/04/08
      68.   david P. it is, if it still occupies it 23:22  |  MAN 01/04/08
      69.   Gazan`sSick of War 23:27  |  Zev 01/04/08
      70.   #36 Elihu