Doctors for Human Rights filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Thursday asking that 11 Arab residents of Gaza who are suffering from various illnesses be allowed to enter Israel to receive medical care. Some of the patients are asking to receive treatment in Israeli hospitals, while others hope to be admitted to Palestinian Authority hospitals in Ramallah.
The group argues that the patients meet the standard criteria for acceptance to Israeli hospitals, and that they are unable to receive the care they need in Gaza. One of the patients claims that he was initially given permission to leave Gaza, but that the permission was withdrawn after he refused to help the General Security Services (Shabak) by providing information about local terrorists. Doctors for Human Rights argues that Gaza Arabs should be allowed to receive medical care in Israeli hospitals without promising to help Israel fight terrorism.