With Gaza devoid of medical care, the critically ill must travel to Israel. There they are asked to comply with Israeli intelligence before treatment. Become a hated informer? Or refuse and wait to die?
With Gaza blockaded, only a fortunate few are able to get through Erez crossing, the only passenger crossing that remains between Gaza and Israel. It took 6 months to secure a permit for my daughter says Majed, whose daughter needs an urgent operation. Even after securing a permit the struggle isnt over. Once in Israel, desperate and weak patients like 27 year old Khitam are often subjected to rigorous cross-examination. When I finally went in I was interrogated for 2 hours Khitam says, they asked me about the resistance, gave me a pen and paper and asked for names. Since the war, Israeli intelligence has used Palestinian informers to target militant leaders, especially those involved in Hamas. When Khitam told the intelligence that she didnt know anything, that shed spent the last 9 months lying in a hospital bed, they accused her of being involved in Hamas and sent her back to Gaza. I will die, thats it. Theres nothing else I can do she says frankly. Khitam has no choice, but with the threat of Palestinian wrath hanging over becoming an informer, more and more Palestinians are opting to die.

Source-June 2009-JMP