The IOF continues to tighten the siege on the Gaza Strip and deny patients access to hospitals, which impacts all humanitarian aspects.
Today a pregnant woman with pregnancy toxemia was denied access to a hospital by the IOF.
According to the investigations of Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, Hala Anwar Muhammad Yousif, 32, was denied access to al-Maqasid hospital in Jerusalem.
In spite of having a security clearance and a permit by the IOF to cross Erez Checkpoint, she was not allowed to go through at around 12:30pm on Wednesday, 8 October 2008.
Mrs.
Yousif suffers from pregnancy toxemia and a malformed fetus.
She previously suffered a similar condition that put her life at risk; therefore, she was referred to al-Maqasid hospital in Jerusalem this time.
Today at around 9:45am the Palestinian liaison office notified her that she had to go to Erez Checkpoint in the morning after securing a permit for her from the IOF.
She was granted a permit to go through the Checkpoint on foot in spite of her critical medical condition.
After she arrived at Erez Checkpoint along with her aunt, Wasfiya Yousif, and reached the Israeli side, the IOF ordered her to return home.
It is noteworthy that the patient is in critical condition.
She is now nine-month pregnant and could deliver at any time.
Al Mezan Center condemns banning a patient in critical condition from accessing a hospital.
It stresses that such a practice represents a grave violation of Israeli's obligations under the rules of the IHL and the standards of human rights.
The Center vehemently denounces the continuous, tightened siege imposed on the Gaza Strip by the IOF that impacts all aspects of the civilian life, especially their right to movement, travel and access to hospitals to receive medical care.
The Center stresses that the continuous banning of patients to access hospitals resulted in the death of dozens of civilians, including children, women and the elderly.
The siege and such practices have been going on while the international community continues to remain silent.
Therefore, the Center calls the international community to intervene to put an end to the war crimes and serious breaches of the international law perpetrated by the IOF against the civilian population of the OPT and the Gaza Strip in particular.
End