RAMALLAH, December 11, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation authorities refused to allow a five-year-old child from the Gaza Strip, residing in Ramallah, to receive urgent treatment at a hospital in Israel, claiming his address is registered in Gaza.
An Israeli organization, representing the family, filed a petition with the Israeli court in Jerusalem, stating that the decision constitutes a flagrant violation of international and local laws related to human rights and healthcare.
The organization explained that the family moved to Ramallah in 2022 to receive medical treatment that has become ineffective, and the child urgently needs a bone marrow transplant, which is unavailable in the West Bank or Gaza.
The organization's lawyers emphasized that the Israeli authorities' decision to prevent the child from receiving life-saving treatment violates Israel's obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, as well as Israeli law.
Israeli authorities responded that the child could attempt to transfer to a third country via the Karameh crossing for treatment, or seek assistance from international organizations through medical evacuation procedures from Gaza.
The child's mother indicated that her son's condition is steadily deteriorating, that he suffers from a severely weakened immune system and is unable to walk, and that the hospital is ready to receive him upon arrival. She emphasized that the Israeli government's policy of only permitting patients to leave for third countries does not absolve Israel of its responsibility to provide medical care to Palestinian civilians.
It is worth noting that five human rights organizations submitted petitions last month to the Supreme Court demanding that Israel resume the evacuation of patients from Gaza to hospitals in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, procedures that were in place before October 7.
The petition stated that approximately 16,500 people in Gaza, mostly children, the elderly, and women, are at risk of death due to the interruption of medical care, holding Israel responsible for protecting lives and preventing further loss of life.
K.T
