Islam Times Correspondent in the West Bank said that the report of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OCHA), distributed by the Media Center of the United Nations in Cairo, stated that most of those gates are opened but only for short period of time (twice or three times daily). The report added that only two out of the 13 gates are opened continuously throughout the day.
The report mentioned that there is widespread concern among the farmers regarding their inability to leave “the seam zone” in case they faced any accident, such as snake-bite accidents, and/or inhalation of pesticides accidents etc. If they did not succeed in drawing the attention of the military patrol, which controls the gates, or contact the Zionist Liaison Office via the humanitarian emergency line, otherwise those farmers remain trapped until the gate’s next opening time without having any access to first aid supplies.
In fact, the restrictions imposed on the movement of vehicles through the wall gates means that the injured people will be carried either on the back of a horse or mule or on a tractor to the gates. This usually requires passing through a long winding routes in difficult terrains.
The report added, “The fears of farmers are increasing due to the fact that the restrictions imposed on the access to the seam zones prevent the entry of medical personnel and/or ambulances to help those who need medical care”.
The report mentioned that East Jerusalem, including its six hospitals, is the main supplier of the specialized care for the population of the occupied Palestinian territories.
It also added that the restrictions imposed on the access to East Jerusalem for the vast majority of the Palestinian population had begun before the construction of the wall. The Zionist entity’s Government in 1993 developed a permit system that forces the Palestinian that have no right to reside in East Jerusalem and/or do not have the Zionist nationality to apply for a permit to access to Jerusalem. This includes the medical cases that should apply for a permit through a complex operation that needs a lot of time.
Moreover, the attending physician should submit a request to the Referral Department in the Palestinian Ministry of Health, which determines the eligibility of the patient and the hospital needed. Thus, the patient should book an appointment in the hospital, and then the Referral Department or the hospital sends a request to the Zionist Civil Administration to issue a permit for a period of time for the appointment or for the surgery.
The report also mentioned the stress that comes because of waiting for the permit statement to be issued (or to be refused). The permits can be granted for periods, shorter than what is required for treatment, especially if there was a need for multiple consultations and/or operations. Yet, the men’s request of permit, those who are between 15 and 30 years old, are often rejected under the pretext of security.
The “OCHA” report stated that it is difficult for the parents of sick children or the family members to obtain permits to accompany the patients to Jerusalem. These permits are also not valid even during the periods of the general closure.
Translation By Mayssa Hazimeh
