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The means of inflicting suffering, it seems, is an art Israel has perfected. Palestinians in Gaza have to endure the restrictions Israel has put in place against the critically ill. As was the case before with foodstuffs and basic necessities, which have faced an endless list of restrictions and embargoes, the needs of patients today face the same crisis.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has criticised Israel for denying or delaying travel permits for the critically ill Gaza residents. Accordingly, many patients have died as a result of the elongated wait for approval to travel for treatment.
These delays proved to be without any sense, inhumane and tragic, according to Ambrogio Manenti, head of the WHO's West Bank and Gaza office. "The right to health appears to be optional for Palestinians," he said.
According to WHO, within a single week, five ambulances have been hit, medical supplies are still facing a serious shortage, and the Palestinian Ministry of Health continues to operate within the declared state of emergency.
The tragedy that the Palestinians are facing goes beyond the absence of readily available healthcare for the critically ill as the Israeli terror takes on a wider scope in its outreach.
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