HRW: PA Should Issue Medical Treatment Approvals for Gaza Patients

London, MINA – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to provide Gaza citizens with health problems and injuries with the approvals they need to receive medical treatment.

According to a statement released on Wednesday by HRW, “the Israeli closure of Gaza, backed by Egypt, as well as disputes over funding between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have left medical facilities struggling to operate due to severe lack of electricity and essential drugs, medical disposables, and equipment.”

Doctors in Gaza have told Physicians for Human Rights–Israel that they are powerless to provide needed treatment to many wounded patients, the rights group said, stressing the need for Israeli military authorities to reverse their policy of denying medical exit permits for Gazans who were wounded in the protests, PIC reported.

The rights group also said that the PA “should promptly issue required approvals for patients’ medical treatment.”

In another context, HRW underlined that “Israeli forces’ repeated use of lethal force in the Gaza Strip since March 30, 2018, against Palestinian demonstrators who posed no imminent threat to life may amount to war crimes,” pointing out that more than 100 protesters in Gaza were killed and thousands injured by live ammunition.(R/R04/RS5)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)