H/T Avi Bell
Sometimes the criticism of Israel leveled by the Guardian is simply farcical and a July 11th video report, “Gaza’s healthcare system in crisis“, is a perfect example.
The report is placed on the Guardian’s ‘Global Development’ page, which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The video, replete with scenes of sick Palestinian children and doctors complaining about shortages of medicine and supplies, advances the narrative that it is Israel’s responsibility to provide healthcare for citizens of Gaza and that it is failing miserably in this task.
These screenshots from the video demonstrate the gist of their claims.
Israel’s obligation under international law:
Under article 55 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, an “occupier” is required to ensure the food and medical supplies of the local population, and if necessary bring them in to the occupied territory. Under article 56, the “occupier” is required to maintain with “the cooperation of national and local authorities, the medical and hospital establishments and services, public health and hygiene in the occupied territory.” However, neither article 55 nor article 56 applies to Gaza even that territory could be considered “occupied”, because both articles apply only for one year after the general close of militaryoperations. (The Gaza war ended in January of 2009.)
Even if one was to accept the claim that Gaza is still “occupied” (which has been refuted definitively), there is no provision requiring the “occupier” to provide medical services. The closest thing to an obligation to be found in the Fourth Geneva Convention is article 59 which states:
“If the whole or part of the population of an occupied territory is inadequately supplied, the Occupying Power shall agree to relief schemes on behalf of the said population, and shall facilitate them by all the means at its disposal. Such schemes, which may be undertaken either by States or by impartial humanitarian organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, shall consist, in particular, of the provision of consignments of foodstuffs, medical supplies and clothing.”
Israel, which facilitates the transfer of tons of medical supplies to Gaza each week via international aid organizations, more than fulfills this requirement.
And, though nothing requires Israel to admit Palestinians into its territory to receive medical care, Israel nonetheless consistently provides Palestinians in Gaza with access to Israeli hospitals.
According to COGAT (the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) citing a report by the WHO (World Health Organization), in 2011, 91.5% of all applications, by Gazans, for receiving medical care in Israel were approved, 7.2% are pending security analysis and 1.3% of applications were denied.
According to the latest figures from CoGAT (per the IDF), during 2011, over 18,000 Gazans crossed into Israel for medical reasons. And almost half of the operations performed every year by the Israeli charity ‘Save a Child’s Heart‘ are on Palestinian children.
The transfer of medical supplies, as well as Palestinian entry into Israeli hospitals, continues even when Hamas members (and other terrorists operating in Gaza) fire rockets at Israeli cities.
Shortage of medical supplies?
Regarding the claim that there is a shortage of supplies due to Israeli restrictions, IDF Major Moshe Levy, former Head of the PR Branch of the Coordination and Liaison Administration of the Gaza Strip, stated the following:
“Israel allows the passage of all medicine and medical equipment purchased by the Palestinian Authority. There are no Israeli restrictions on the amount or type of medications transferred to Gaza. There is a lack of medicine, but it is not due to Israeli restrictions. The reason for this is the low health care budget of the Palestinian Authority.”
Further, the IDF noted:
“The PA’s annual budget devoted to medical care for the Palestinian population in Judea & Samaria and Gaza (about 3.5 million people) amounts to less than the budget of the Israeli hospital in Tel HaShomer, which supports less than one million patients a year.”
Hamas’ role in the “crisis”:
Another dynamic which the Guardian chose not to explore is the fact that Hamas steals medical supplies donated to Palestinians in Gaza by the international community.
In 2011, a spokesman for the PA Ministry of Health said that Hamas had been “stealing or hiding the medicine, creating a shortage of supplies for hospitals and clinics in the Gaza Strip.” The spokesman said that a 12-ton shipment of medicine was sent to Gaza by the Egyptians, but most of its content had gone missing.
Specifically, the Palestinian Authority accused Hamas of “stealing medication meant for Gaza civilians and hiding it in storage facilities, later giving it to members of the Hamas government or selling it to civilians and keeping the proceeds for itself.”
And, these are far from isolated incidents. Hamas’ record of stealing medical aid goes back many years, and has been reported in the Arabic media and confirmed by UNRWA.
Conclusion:
Despite the fact that government of Gaza seeks Israel’s destruction and launches terror attacks against its citizens:
- Israel facilitates the uninterrupted supply of drugs and medical supplies to Gaza citizens.
- Israel facilitates the entry of roughly 18,000 Palestinians in need of treatment from Gaza to Israeli hospitals annually.
- Palestinians treated in Israeli hospitals receive the same quality of care as Israeli citizens.
The Hamas regime, for its part, does the following:
- Steals medicine and supplies from aid trucks meant for Gaza medical centers
- Sells the medicine meant for Palestinians, and keeps the proceeds.
- Wastes precious resources, which could be spent on healthcare, on rockets and other military instruments of terror
The Guardian, for its part:
- Blames Israel for a “crisis” in Gaza’s healthcare.
- Fails to investigate Hamas’ role in manufacturing the crisis.
Palestinians portrayed as victims + the actions of Palestinian leaders escape critical scrutiny + little or no context, or investigation into the facts, by Guardian journalists = Israel is guilty.
Aka, the Guardian formula for reporting almost any story related to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
