The victims of Hamas-Fatah power struggle

by Suranee | April 29, 2009 at 09:02 am

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Palestinian patients that are trapped in the Gaza Strip who are in need of urgent medical treatment for cancer and other diseases are prevented from traveling abroad to get the crucial treatment they need because of political infighting between Gaza's militant Hamas rulers and their Palestinian rivals.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Hundreds of Palestinian patients have been trapped in the Gaza Strip, unable to travel abroad for crucial treatment for cancer and other diseases, because of political infighting between Gaza's militant Hamas rulers and their Palestinian rivals.

The World Health Organization reported that due to this crisis, eight Gazans who were waiting to travel abroad have died since the crisis began in March, when the dispute shut down a medical referral committee that helps sick residents find treatment outside of Gaza.

Eight Gazans who were waiting to travel abroad have died since the crisis began in March, when the dispute shut down a medical referral committee that helps sick residents find treatment outside of Gaza, according to the World Health Organization.

Ribhi Jindiyeh who is just ten years old and four -year old Yehia both suffer from lymphoma.

Others are hanging on, waiting. Ten-year-old Ribhi Jindiyeh, a lymphoma patient, lies in bed at home, skinny and jaundiced, too weak to move. He underwent chemotherapy last year in an Israeli hospital, and when he returned home in January, he seemed better. But in March, he began urinating blood.

Gaza doctors can't find the problem and give him infusions every two days to keep him alive.

"Nobody here knows why he is losing so much blood, but nobody can refer us to a hospital abroad, either," his mother, Nevine, 38, said.

Another son, 4-year-old Yehia, was diagnosed with lymphoma in March.

"I want everybody to help my son — Israel, Fatah, Hamas, whoever," Nevine said. "If they can't help a sick child, who can they help? They should all pack up their bags and go home."

The dispute between Hamas and Fatah in coordinating medical treatment abroad for Gazans who are in need of treatment which they can not get in Gaza, has so far had an devastating impact on Gazans' lives and will continue to do so unless both parties come to an agreement.

On Monday, there was hope for a resolution. Hamas health minister Basim Naim announced the restoration of the referral committee, which Hamas' rival, Fatah, had controlled but Hamas shut down in March.
The committee would resume coordinating medical treatment abroad. But Hamas has reservations and has asked mediating independent health workers to find new committee members both sides can agree on, said senior health official Yousef Mudalal.

That raises the possibility of a new dispute.

The split between Hamas and the Fatah movement of U.S.-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which controls the West Bank, can have a devastating impact on Gazans' lives.