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UN Coordinator Announces Agreement to Treat Gaza Patients Abroad

A Palestinian man wearing a protective mask in Gaza. (AFP)
A Palestinian man wearing a protective mask in Gaza. (AFP)
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UN Coordinator Announces Agreement to Treat Gaza Patients Abroad

A Palestinian man wearing a protective mask in Gaza. (AFP)
A Palestinian man wearing a protective mask in Gaza. (AFP)

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov announced that a temporary arrangement has been reached to treat Gaza patients abroad.

“A temporary arrangement has been agreed to support Palestinian patients and companions from Gaza to access essential health services outside the Strip,” tweeted the official.

He did not disclose any details about the agreement, but thanked the World Health Organization in the Occupied Territories, UN Development and Humanitarian Coordinator in Palestine Jamie McGoldrick, and the UN Special Coordinator of the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) for their “amazing work with all parties.”

Ynet said Israel would allow Gaza patients to enter its hospitals and hospitals in the West Bank, amid a severe shortage of medical staff and equipment in the coastal enclave.

Qatar recently sponsored a truce agreement in the Strip, which includes ending the escalation in exchange for the entry of funds and a set of facilities into the territories.

Israel canceled the last set of sanctions it imposed on Gaza, reopened the crossings, allowed entry of fuel into the Strip and permitted fishermen to return to the sea, while the parties are working to accelerate the establishment of the US field hospital and entry of 7,000 workers from Gaza to Israel.

Allowing Gaza patients to enter Israel is part of the UN-sponsored agreement after the suspension of transfers from the Strip prompting hundreds of patients to seek help from human rights organizations.

Medical organizations, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) and al-Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza warned that the conditions of patients in the Strip is deteriorating, especially as most of them are treated in West Bank and East Jerusalem hospitals.

Many Gazans need to be transferred outside the enclave to receive treatment for serious diseases, including cancer.

PCHR issued a statement regarding the “dangerous decline in treatments provided to cancer patients in the Gaza Strip,” adding that the city suffers from lack of adequate diagnostic services, and doesn't have the necessary chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments.

The Center fears this would affect the lives of cancer patients, given the weak health system as a result of the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip 14 years ago, which is a real threat to the lives of the patients.

There are at least 8,000 cancer patients suffering severely due to the lack of necessary treatment, in light of the severe restrictions imposed at the crossings in the Strip, after the declaration of the state of emergency and the suspension of coordination between the Palestinian Civil Affairs Authority and the Israeli authorities.

The measures led to an unprecedented decline in the number of patients traveling through the Beit Hanoun crossing during the last five months, which negatively affected the health conditions of cancer patients who did not have a suitable alternative in Gaza.

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Arab World

Israel Deliberately Targets Medical Teams, Aid Workers in Lebanon

Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)
Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)
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Israel Deliberately Targets Medical Teams, Aid Workers in Lebanon

Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)
Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)

Over the past three weeks, Israel has systematically targeted hospitals, medical staff, aid workers, and ambulances across various regions of Lebanon, particularly in the heavily bombarded southern areas.
Tel Aviv appears intent on erasing signs of life and sustainability, especially south of the Litani River, aiming to turn the region into scorched earth and establish a buffer zone by force. The exact size of this zone, who will control it, and whether it will involve a permanent occupation remain unclear.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Al-Abiad recently stated that Israel is “deliberately and systematically” targeting medical teams, revealing that 13 hospitals are no longer operational, more than 150 healthcare workers have been killed, and over 100 medical centers and 130 ambulances have been targeted.
Last week, Nicolas von Arx, the regional director for the Near and Middle East at the International Committee of the Red Cross, issued an urgent call to protect healthcare personnel, ambulances, hospitals, and primary care centers, expressing deep concern over the attacks on medical facilities.
The Islamic Health Authority, affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that over 80 rescue workers have been killed in the past year, 70 of them in the past three weeks alone. The Scout Association of Amal Movement reported losing 21 members. Meanwhile, the Israeli army recently announced that any vehicle suspected of carrying armed militants would be considered a legitimate military target, regardless of its type.
Sobhiya Najjar, a public policy expert and coordinator of the Social Protection for All campaign at the Center for Social Science Research Applications (CESSRA), highlighted that the destruction of Lebanon’s healthcare system is systematic and mirrors what is happening in Gaza. She noted that Lebanon’s healthcare system, particularly in regions like Baalbek-Hermel, Bint Jbeil, and Tyre, was already fragile.
Najjar told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israel targets medical centers, staff, ambulances, and firefighting services to weaken Hezbollah’s ability to treat the wounded and provide essential healthcare, thus increasing pressure on the health system.
This strategy sows chaos and fear among civilians, weakening morale and hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid, including medical and food supplies. She stressed that such actions violate international laws, which protect medical teams as neutral entities.
Paul Morcos, head of the legal organization Justicia, added that while Israel claims medical facilities and ambulances are used to hide weapons and militants, indiscriminate attacks that endanger doctors, nurses, patients, and civilians are prohibited under international law. He cited the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their protocols, which mandate taking precautions to avoid harm to civilians and ensure proportionality in military operations. These rules, he emphasized, have become customary and are binding on all nations.
For her part, political activist Dr. Mona Fayyad described these actions as part of a “genocide” committed by Israel, deliberately preventing the rescue of the wounded. She criticized the international community’s silence and argued that even if some medical personnel support Hezbollah, there is no justification for risking civilian lives under any pretext.