Israeli Supreme Court Orders Government to Address Medical Evacuations for Gazans
On Tuesday, Israel’s Supreme Court mandated that the Israeli government provide a detailed explanation regarding the apparent absence of a comprehensive system to facilitate the evacuation of sick Gazans, who are not involved in the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict, to other countries for necessary medical treatment.
This court order arises from a petition submitted by three Israeli human rights organizations back in early June, following the closure of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. This closure took effect after the Israeli military commenced a significant assault in the area in May.
Prior to the border closure, approximately 50 patients were able to evacuate daily for medical care, as reported by Adi Lustigman, a lawyer representing Physicians for Human Rights Israel, one of the petitioning organizations. Despite this number being merely a fraction of those in need, medical evacuations have since ground to a halt following the border’s closure. The petition seeks that Israel establish a transparent and systematic process for handling applications for medical evacuations.
“People don’t know where to turn,” Ms. Lustigman expressed, highlighting the confusion faced by families seeking help. She further noted that even when individuals do apply for evacuation, there seems to be no coherent rationale governing the approval process. In some cases, critically ill patients remain in limbo while less severe cases that applied later are granted permission to leave.
“We didn’t ask Israel to treat people, just to facilitate their movement in a humane manner,” Ms. Lustigman clarified. While the petition does not specifically demand that patients be sent abroad for treatment, it emphasizes that they should not be obstructed from accessing necessary medical care. However, Israel has indicated a preference for patients to travel to a third country “due to security reasons,” a stance that Ms. Lustigman suggests may also be influenced by public opinion within Israel. “There is a very strong public objection to the petition as it currently stands,” she noted.