Medical Assistance

The people of Gaza have suffered enormously, particularly over the last year and more under the Hamas regime. Before the ascent of Hamas as the de facto government in the Gaza Strip, the population had suffered another kind of dysfunctionality, one of chaotic anarchy, where the incidence of lawlessness and criminality was endemic. Those who aspired to lead a decent normal life were unable to, fearful of a lack of personal security.

With the advent of Hamas as the governing entity, order was restored, but at a cost. Hamas enacted a rigid theocratic rule, one which all Gazans had to be complicit with, for to protest was to bring attention, and abuse and occasionally worse. Gazans now had to suffer under an embargo imposed upon their territory by the Israelis and the outside world, unwilling to recognize the legality of Hamas's takeover of Gaza.

A violent takeover, usurping Fatah in a vicious sectarian war of attrition. Hamas living up to its reputation as a ruthless terror group recognized as such by most of the world community. Posing as a government of legitimate right through the auspices of a fair and democratic election, yet belying that status by their repeated insistence on their right to destroy the State of Israel.

The embargo, agreed upon by the international community, in concert with the State of Israel, realized a scarcity of consumer goods and the opportunity to travel and to obtain work outside Gaza, leading to a restricted lifestyle of bare existence for too many. Added to that was the need for a strict adherence to any and all of Hamas' edicts for the people living in the Strip.

The international community criticized Israel for its closure of the border crossings, a self-defence move to ensure that Hamas was not materially and militarily empowered through access to funding and goods and weaponry by its takeover of Gaza. In the process there erupted shortages of fuel, fresh food, and medicines. Israel dutifully continued to supply Gaza with its energy needs.

It opened and regulated the importation of needed domestic goods for the population, while retaining the right to close those borders when intelligence informed them of impending terror strikes. It has been ethically troubling for sympathetic Israelis to view the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza and there are many groups who attempt to alleviate the stress of the population there.

A new border medical clinic was set up by the Israeli Magen David Adom and the Welfare and Social Services Ministry and Israel's Health Ministry to minister to sick and wounded Gazans. The facility was placed on the northern border of the Strip in the anticipation that it would be well utilized by Gazans. However, scant few Gazans have attempted to avail themselves of treatment at this free clinic.

The medical staffers are clearly disappointed "I spent the whole day there and not one person came to us for help", said one doctor. "The people there are scared, scared of us and scared of Hamas. The clinic is an amazing thing but I can't blame them for not wanting to come to us. It is just very frustrating." Seven Palestinian children with cancer had come to the clinic for treatment, and were released.

Its presence at the Eretz crossing represents a humanitarian effort by Israel to assist the civilian population, in the wake of its 22-day offensive in Gaza. Government officials at the official inauguration of the clinic announced that the clinic was meant to accept all patients, while more serious cases would see referral to Israeli hospitals.

A mandatory border security check is the first step to admission, after which patients would be taken immediately into the clinic for treatment. Four ambulances have been stationed at the clinic, along with a mobile intensive care unit. It was anticipated that 50 patients a day might be tended to, representing those wounded in the military action, or ill Palestinians.

The facility is well staffed with specialists in various areas, inclusive of general practitioners, paediatricians, gynaecologist/obstetricians, trauma experts, surgeons, orthopedists, ophthalmologists, and other medical specialists. There to serve the needs of Palestinians, in an good-will, expiatory gesture of humanity toward neighbours.

More representative of the tradition and heritage of Jewish culture than waging wars of necessity.