For the first time since Syrian refugees seeking medical attention began drifting into Israel, a Syrian woman has given birth to a child here.
The birth took place Sunday at Ziv Hospital in Tzefat (Safed). The 20 year old woman gave birth to a healthy 3.2 kilo (7.04 pound) baby girl.
The woman was brought to Ziv Hospital late Saturday night by IDF soldiers, as she was in labor. The woman lived in the town of Quneitra, just across the border on the Golan Heights, and was unable to get to a Syrian hospital, as the town was closed off by Syrian troops holding the position against Syrian rebels.
Details of the transfer were unavailable, but sources said that she came over to Israel in the same manner that many other Syrians in need of medical attention in recent months have arrived here: Family members bring them to the border and call for Israeli medical help. IDF soldiers, after securing the area, open a border gate and transport the individual to a hospital, usually Ziv.
There are no statistics available on how many Syrian citizens have been treated in Israel over the past two years, as the civil war in Syria has continued to rage, but some estimate the number to be in the hundreds.
Generally, a baby born on the territory of a sovereign country is granted citizenship in that country, but there was no comment from the hospital or any authority as to whether that would apply in this case.