Following Ynet's report that terrorists are hospitalized in public hospitals alongside Israelis wounded inthe war, Health Minister Moshe Arbel on Wednesday evening told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that he had ordered a halt to the treatment of Hamas terrorists in public hospitals. It is not yet clear how the directive will be implemented if terrorists are rushed to the entrance of the hospitals, as has been the case so far.
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In a letter to Netanyahu, Arbel wrote: "Since the beginning of the fighting, the issue of treating the damned and despicable Hamas terrorists in the public hospitals has caused tremendous difficulty on the health system.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Health Minister Moshe Arbel
(Photos: EPA, Alex Kolomoisky)
"In these difficult times, the health care system should focus fully on treating the victims of the criminal massacre, the IDF soldiers and preparedness for what is to come. The task of securing and treating the cursed and despicable terrorists within the public health system significantly harms these efforts. And therefore, under my guidance, the public health system will not treat them."
Arbel added that: "The handling of the matter should be entrusted to the IDF or Israel Prison Service, and of course the Ministry of Health is ready and willing to assist these bodies as much as necessary. I will ask for your immediate guidance to implement this instruction among all the aforementioned bodies."
Senior officials at the hospitals say they were forced to take them in, and urged the Health Ministry to take the wounded terrorists to a closed military facility. At noon, a terrorist was rushed to one of the largest hospitals in Israel, which is obliged to treat him. "The Health Ministry directs them to the hospitals and not to a separate military facility," said a senior official at one of the hospitals.
Health Ministry is afraid of lynching
The Health Ministry is afraid of lynching and instructed the hospital security guards to prepare accordingly for violent disturbances that could lead to lynching terrorists. The Health Ministry informed the security officers of the hospitals: "We are aware of the evacuation of terrorists for treatment in hospitals. At the same time, we have learned of the intention by citizens of violent disturbances to the point of lynching. Upon receiving a report of the evacuation of a terrorist, one must contact the territorial station for urgent assistance in dealing with disturbances, contact the commander for assistance. Please note - the IDF command has approved the assistance of aid unit soldiers in the hospitals in public order missions."
Earlier, Arbel clarified that the IDF is bringing the terrorists to the Israeli hospitals.