Israel decided to open up its tense border along the Gaza Strip
on Wednesday to allow foreigners and sick Palestinians to leave the
violence-torn area.
Bernard Barregg, spokesman of the International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC) in Jerusalem, revealed that the Red Cross is
working with Magen David Adom (MDA) to ensure medical care in
Israeli for patients being evacuated from Gaza. MDA is an Israeli
group which provides pro-hospital emergency medical services.
Wednesday saw four Palestinians transferred to Israeli
hospitals, with three more expected to be transferred soon. The
total of Palestinians set to be evacuated stands at around 50.
Barregg said most of these cases bore injuries from the
infighting between Hamas and Fatah with some suffering from serious
illnesses that are beyond the capacity of Gaza hospitals to
treat.
According to Barregg, ICRC personnel in Gaza will visit
hospitals and elect which patients to transfer, at which point the
MDA will handle transportation to Israel via the Erez border
crossing.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
confirmed that the Erez crossing would be kept open so long as
Palestinians needed help. It would also remain available to foreign
journalists, diplomats and ordinary citizens.
Newly-appointed Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday
ordered the IDF to help evacuated Palestinians in need of urgent
medical care from Gaza via Erez Crossing, which prior to this had
been closed after Hamas staged a violent takeover of the
region.
Some 100 to 200 Palestinians have been waiting at Erez Crossing
to escape Gaza in the past few days, but only a handful have been
granted permission to pass into Israel.
(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2007)
