Gaza Herald – A five-year-old Palestinian child, Mohammed Abu Asad, suffering from an aggressive and life-threatening form of cancer, has been repeatedly denied access to urgent medical treatment after Israeli authorities rejected multiple requests by rights groups to secure a permit for his transfer.
Mohammed requires a bone marrow transplant and advanced immunotherapy, treatments unavailable in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Despite medical recommendations stressing the urgency of his condition, five separate humanitarian appeals to allow his transfer have been denied.
In February, an Israeli court upheld the refusal, citing a policy that bars individuals registered as Gaza residents from entering the occupied 1948 territories (Israel) for medical care, even in critical cases. The ruling was applied despite the child having lived in the West Bank for several years.
Doctors warn that delays in treatment significantly reduce his chances of survival. His condition has deteriorated to the point where he can no longer walk and suffers from severe immune system weakness, requiring constant medical supervision.
Legal experts and human rights advocates have condemned the decision, describing it as a violation of international law and the fundamental right to health and life. They argue that denying treatment based on administrative classification constitutes discriminatory and potentially inhumane conduct, particularly in the case of a child facing a life-threatening illness.
The case reflects a broader pattern affecting Palestinian patients, especially those from Gaza, who face severe restrictions in accessing specialized medical care. With Gaza’s healthcare system severely weakened by years of blockade and war, thousands of patients, including the wounded, remain unable to obtain the treatment they urgently need, placing their lives at continuous risk.
