The decadelong Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip has taken a toll on every aspect of life in the besieged enclave, including health.
Haaretz newspaper revealed in a Dec. 1 article that Israel continues to prevent patients from the Gaza Strip from traveling through the Beit Hanoun crossing in the northern Gaza Strip to receive treatment in hospitals in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Israel. The article noted that 20 critically ill patients died in 2017 in Gaza “after their application for an Israeli exit permit to receive medical treatment was not granted in time.”