Israel deports Gaza patients from Jerusalem hospitals back to war-torn strip

Israeli authorities expelled dozens of Palestinian patients from hospitals in Jerusalem back to the Gaza Strip on Monday, according to local media reports.

The patients and their families, originally from the Gaza Strip, had sought treatment in Jerusalem before the war erupted in October 2023 and remained in the city since.

Some had completed their treatment and expressed desire to return to the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. 

However, there were concerns that others will be forced to return, according to Arab48.

Local media said two buses carrying some of the patients and their families arrived at the Kerem Abu Salem crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel on Monday morning.

At least 89 people were set to be deported. They include children born in Jerusalem.

Unnamed sources told Arab48 there were "serious concerns" regarding the transfer of the patients, including potential risks related to road safety and transportation conditions. 

Many of the patients fear returning to the war-torn Gaza Strip, where most hospitals have been damaged or completely destroyed.

Decimated health system

Since Israel launched its two-year genocidal war in Gaza, the health system has been subjected to deliberate and systematic attacks, pushing it to the brink of collapse, with more than 94 percent of medical facilities damaged or completely destroyed.

Hospitals have been bombed and raided, while thousands of doctors and medical workers have been killed or detained.

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Today, only a handful of health centres remain partially functional, providing the bare minimum of care and surviving on critically scarce fuel and medical supplies.

The attacks on hospitals coincided with relentless bombardment, leaving hundreds dead or wounded each day and overwhelming what remains of Gaza’s health services.

In two years, Israel has killed almost 70,000 people in Gaza, while 10,000 more are missing, and wounded more than 170,000.

More than 7,600 of those injured in the early months of the war managed to evacuate for treatment abroad through the Rafah crossing into Egypt.

But since Israel invaded Rafah in May 2024, the crossing has been sealed, cutting Gaza off from the outside world. 

According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, more than 9,300 wounded and sick Palestinians have died since October 2023 due to the collapse of medical care and Israel’s ban on medical evacuations.

Some 20,000 wounded and ill people are waiting for the Rafah crossing to reopen so they can seek treatment abroad.