Israel is preparing to establish a temporary hospital to treat Palestinian children from Gaza. The Medical Corps asked the Health Ministry to prepare for the establishment of a medical facility in Israel that will treat Palestinian children from Gaza coping with chronic illnesses including cancer, diabetes and orthopedic injuries.
Officials familiar with the details estimate that the move may be part of the arrangements for a future hostage deal. Alternatively, the hospital can be used to quell concerns by countries and the International Court of Justice which is currently deliberating Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Recently, the Medical Corps and senior health officials held several discussions on the matter.
"This is the first stage that will accommodate dozens of children," says an official familiar with the details. "The doctors who will work at the hospital will be Israelis, and our intention is to establish a transit point to send the children for treatment in a third country like the UAE. Staff will come from hospitals, and the facility will be established in Israel." Some Palestinian children treated at the Israeli hospital, by Israeli doctors, may have been injured as a result of IDF attacks.
It remains unclear how Palestinian children will reach the hospital in Israel and they may be brought to the Israeli side by international organizations. The establishment of the hospital will be undertaken against the backdrop of the closing of the Rafah crossing, which prevents them from seeking medical treatment in Egypt.
The Mothers of Soldiers organization has strongly criticized the plan to establish the hospital for Gazan children. "While our children fight in Gaza, the State of Israel is establishing a hospital for Palestinian children from Gaza, and if this is how it starts, we can't know how it will end in the future. A hospital for adults, and then 'just' work permits for 20,000 residents of Gaza, and the next thing is October 7, it will come back to get us," the group said in a statement.
The organization stressed that "any thought of assistance to Palestinians in Gaza must be avoided. All assistance. We will fight against this decision. Our frustration grows when we hear from our children, the soldiers, who are also tired of these decisions. It is fitting for the State of Israel to ensure medical assistance for soldiers before it cares for the enemy. We don't need to solve Gaza residents' problems before they return our hostages home."