Israeli authorities have refused to allow a five-year-old child suffering from cancer to travel from Ramallah to receive life-saving treatment at Tel Hashomer Hospital, claiming his registered address is in Gaza.
A petition was filed on behalf of the child’s family with the Jerusalem District Court, arguing that the decision constitutes a flagrant violation of international and domestic laws concerning human rights and healthcare.
Humanitarian organizations added that the child’s family moved to Ramallah in 2022 to receive medical treatment, which is now ineffective. The child urgently needs a bone marrow transplant, which is unavailable in the West Bank or Gaza Strip.
Lawyers explained that the Israeli authorities’ decision to deny a five-year-old child this life-saving treatment because of his address constitutes a blatant violation of their obligations under international humanitarian law, human rights law, and even Israeli law.
The child’s mother explained that her son’s condition is steadily deteriorating and that he is in danger of dying, noting that his father died two years ago from the same illness.
Data indicates that approximately 16,500 people in Gaza, mostly children, the elderly, and women, are at risk of death due to the lack of medical care.