Israeli Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Plan To Return Palestinian Hospital Patients To Gaza After Doctors Appeal

Israel’s Supreme Court has temporarily halted a government proposal to send several Palestinian patients receiving treatment in hospitals in East Jerusalem and Tel Aviv back to Gaza.

The Israeli non-profit Physicians for Human Rights Israel, which decided to act after seeing a CNN report on the Palestinian hospital patients, filed a petition.

The organization’s spokesperson, Ran Yaron, stated on Wednesday that it is against international law and intentionally risks the lives of innocent people to return inhabitants to Gaza during a military confrontation or humanitarian disaster. “Especially when it comes to patients who might be executed because of unhygienic conditions, starvation, and the unlikely availability of medical care.”

Israeli Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Plan To Return Palestinian Hospital Patients To Gaza After Doctors Appeal

The Israeli Supreme Court granted a temporary injunction to stop the Israeli government from repatriating some twenty-two Palestinian patients and their companions to Gaza in response to the group’s request.

Early on Thursday morning, a bus was scheduled to transport the Palestinians to Gaza. Hospital officials told CNN that the Israeli government postponed it until at least Monday following the temporary court injunction.

CNN was informed about the delay by Dr. Fadi Atrash, CEO of Augusta Victoria Hospital, which treats cancer patients from Gaza and another hospital representative.

Among the Palestinians residing at Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem are five newborn newborns and their mothers, the majority of whom were allowed entry to Jerusalem hospitals by Israeli officials before October 7.

According to hospital and humanitarian officials, the group also included cancer patients receiving treatment at Augusta Victoria Hospital who were currently in remission.

According to the officials, Tel Hashomer Hospital in the environs of Tel Aviv is also treating a small number of Palestinian patients that the Israeli government wishes to return to Gaza.

In an earlier story on the patients’ predicament, CNN spoke with moms who shared with us their mixed feelings about going back to Gaza. They wanted to be with their family and other kids but felt compelled to stay in Jerusalem to safeguard their infants.

“Gaza has changed significantly.”
Nima Abu Garrara, who gave birth to twins on October 5 after being transported from Rafah to East Jerusalem, will be one of them. Since then, her twins’ only experience has been the security of a Makassed Hospital room.

Israeli Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Plan To Return Palestinian Hospital Patients To Gaza After Doctors Appeal

“If I return with the twins… How do I proceed with them? She cried as she said, “Where would I get milk and diapers?” “Gaza has changed significantly.”

Regarding the Israeli military, Abu Garrara remarked, “I might go back, and then they invade Rafah.” “Anything that hurts them, I’ll be the one accountable for. I stayed with them here to protect them because I was dying when I arrived.

Before becoming pregnant with twins, Hannan Sheridan claimed to have tried for seven years to become pregnant. As she rocked her son Abdullah, she remarked, “I’m scared because there’s no ceasefire.” “Life has become incredibly costly. Diseases are increasing. Infections. It’s not your typical life.

The “fact that the security officials refuse to convey such a directive in writing indicates that they themselves are aware that it is clearly illegal and are avoiding responsibility,” according to Physicians for Human Rights Israel.

According to hospital officials, the Israeli military ministry body in charge of Palestinian issues, COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), has been in contact with them mostly through phone to coordinate the evacuation.

Speaking to CNN on Sunday, Dr. Atrash admitted that he has long rejected requests from the Israeli government for a list of Palestinians who were no longer in need of inpatient care.

Israeli Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Plan To Return Palestinian Hospital Patients To Gaza After Doctors Appeal

“In the end, it’s not our call,” he remarked. And it truly irritates me. Since the start of the war, we have not been able to assist the people in Gaza. As medical professionals, we experience this sense of helplessness daily.

COGAT stated that it would arrange for the repatriation of Palestinians from Gaza who “do not require additional medical care” and that it would handle the return in coordination with foreign relief agencies.

“COGAT arranges their stay with the hospitals to safeguard their health in cases where further medical treatment is necessary,” the agency stated.

SOURCE – (AP)