Palestinians lose legs as Israel punishes them by denying medical care

Palestinians evacuate Abdullah Muhammad Shahri after he was shot in the chest by Israeli soldiers during a protest at the boundary with Israel in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on 12 April. Shahri died from his wounds later that day.

Ashraf AmraAPA images

Maureen Clare Murphy- 12 April 2018

The legs of two Palestinians were amputated on Wednesday after Israel refused to allow them to leave the blockaded Gaza Strip for treatment.


Human rights groups had appealed to the Israeli authorities to allow for the transfer of Yusif Karnaz, 20, and Muhammad al-Ajouri, 17, to a hospital in the occupied West Bank for surgery that would save their limbs.

The youths were shot during the launch of the Great March of Return protests along the Gaza-Israel boundary on 30 March.

But COGAT – the bureaucratic arm of Israel’s military occupation that postures as a humanitiarian body – denied their requests for permission to travel for specialized surgery unavailable in Gaza.

Israel admitted that it refused the request as a form of punishment for protesting.

“On the surface, the petitioners’ condition ostensibly fulfills the medical criterion for receiving a permit but the authorized officials decided not to grant their requests,” the state said in response to a court petition submitted on behalf of the injured youths, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

“The main consideration for the refusal stems from the fact that their medical condition is a function of their participation in the disturbances,” the state added.

One of the injured youths, Yousif Karnaz, “is in danger of losing his second leg if he does not receive urgent medical attention in the West Bank,” according to the human rights group Adalah.

“The willful act of denying urgent medical care, in these circumstances, may constitute cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and/or torture under the UN Convention Against Torture, ratified by Israel,” stated Adalah, which petitioned the Israeli government on behalf of the youths along with the Gaza-based Al Mezan Center for Human Rights.

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel highlighted the case of the two youths whose legs were amputated in its efforts to relocate part of the prestigious Giro d’Italia cycling race from Jerusalem:

View image on Twitter

PACBI

✔@PACBI

Dear cyclists, 2 young Palestinians from Gaza had legs amputated because Israel denied travel permits to West Bank hospital after Israeli soldiers shot them during peaceful protests just KMs from #Giro101 route. @giroditalia @UCI_cycling, #RelocateTheRace! https://www.adalah.org/en/content/view/9470 …

10:28 AM - Apr 12, 2018

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