- Title: ISRAEL: Palestinian casualties to be treated at Israeli field hospital
- Date: 19th January 2009
- Summary: EREZ CROSSING, ISRAEL (JANUARY 18, 2009) (REUTERS) BANNER READING IN ARABIC, HEBREW AND ENGLISH 'REGIONAL MEDICAL CLINIC FOR THE PEOPLE OF GAZA' ISRAELI WORKERS AND MEDICS UNLOADING FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT FOR MAKESHIFT HOSPITAL FOR GAZA WOUNDED WORKERS INSTALLING ELECTRICITY CABLES IN CEILING AT TREATMENT ROOM MAN LAYING FLOOR FOR CHILDREN'S AREA VARIOUS OF MEDICAL STAFF
- Embargoed: 3rd February 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Israel
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Entertainment,Health
- Reuters ID: LVA48VJDZ2Q4XGPXI5NJ696UPPWU
- Story Text: Israel opened a newly-erected field hospital at the fortified Erez crossing on the border with Gaza on Sunday (January 18) to treat Palestinians who were wounded in its 22-day offensive on the Hamas-run enclave.
Israeli attacks killed more than 1,300 Palestinians, including some 700 civilians, Gaza medical officials said. Some 5,300 Palestinians were wounded in air, ground and naval assaults.
The civilian death toll and destruction in the Gaza Strip brought strong international pressure on Israel to stop the offensive it launched with the declared aim of ending rocket attacks that had killed 18 people over the previous eight years.
International aid organisations said Gaza hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of casualties during the three weeks of fighting and that a tight blockade on all Gaza crossings prevented aid from entering the impoverished strip, home to some 1.5 million people.
Israel, which says it tried to avoid harming civilians during its offensive, blamed Hamas for not allowing the transfer of supplies into Gaza territory.
"From day one we have agreed to accept people who need medical care and treatment in Israel and a few have come in. The Palestinian services refused to allow Palestinians from Gaza to come into Israel so under fire there was no capability of need to host such a centre under such premises," Israeli Welfare Minister Isaac Herzog told journalists at the opening of the centre.
"Right now, when we are moving into a different stage it is much easier and swifter to bring people for treatment here or to bring them into Israel for proper treatment at Israeli hospitals but we were willing at any moment to accept patients and treat them in Israel," he said.
Israel's Ministry of Health, which built the emergency treatment centre, says its aim is to help injured civilians after its deadly campaign.
Two patients from Gaza were being treated as the centre went into operation.
According to agreements between Israel and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the injured will be transferred from Gaza to hospitals in Israel, where they will receive medical care. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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