Khaberni - An Israeli court has ruled to prevent the provision of life-saving medical care to a Palestinian child (5 years old) suffering from a severe type of cancer because of his residence address registered in the Gaza Strip, despite the child residing in the West Bank since 2022.
According to a report published by The Guardian, the Jerusalem Central Court rejected an appeal to allow the child to enter Israel for treatment, based on a government policy that prevents those registered in Gaza from crossing the border even if they no longer live there.
The newspaper's correspondent, Lorenzo Tondo, who prepared the report, mentioned that the court denied a petition to transfer the child from Ramallah to Tel Hashomer Hospital near Tel Aviv for a bone marrow transplant surgery, a procedure not available in Gaza or the occupied West Bank, while doctors confirmed his urgent need for immunotherapy.
Comprehensive Israeli Ban
Tondo explained that this decision reflects the Israeli comprehensive ban on Gaza residents entering since the October 7, 2023, attack, including cancer patients who were routinely allowed to access Jerusalem for life-saving treatment before the war.
Quoting the child's mother in the Haaretz newspaper, she said she had lost her last hope, describing the ruling as tantamount to a death sentence for her son, and pointed out that the child's father died of cancer three years ago, adding to the family's tragedy.
The reporter stated that the Israeli judge, Ram Winograd, considered in his ruling that the petition represents an indirect challenge to the security restrictions imposed after October 7, arguing that there is no substantial difference between this child's case and other cases covered by the same policy.
Inhumane Legal Argument
The judge wrote that the petitioners failed to prove the existence of a "real and relevant difference," considering that the child's presence in Ramallah does not justify an exemption from the comprehensive ban, despite acknowledging the need for urgent care for thousands of children in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Israeli human rights organization "Gisha," which has been assisting in the legal proceedings for this child since November 2025, confirmed that this case reveals the cruelty of the bureaucratic system that prioritizes registration data over medical necessity, describing the policy as illegal and pushing children towards death.
Thousands Cannot Cross
Health officials in Gaza report that about 4,000 people have official referrals for treatment in third countries and are unable to cross, while the World Health Organization confirms the death of 900 people while waiting for medical evacuation.
The Guardian concluded its report by saying that about 11,000 Palestinian cancer patients are still trapped in Gaza despite the reopening of the Rafah crossing last week, with doctors confirming that cancer deaths in the sector have tripled since the war began due to the occupation's restrictions.
