Israel denies Gaza patients access to West Bank hospitals

The Israeli authorities refused to issue entry permits for 70 patients from Gaza Strip to receive medical treatment in Jerusalem, the West Bank, or in Jordan.The patients were denied entry at Erez and Beit Hanon border crossings between Gaza Strip and Israel under the pretext that they hold medical transfers with the logo of Palestine State, director of the medical transfers division of the Palestinian Health Ministry Osama Al-Najjar said.The Israeli authorities at the military checkpoints and crossings used to handle such papers since last year when the Palestinian Health Ministry changed the logo of the Palestinian National Authority into that of the Palestine State, Al-Najjar said, reported the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA.In Gaza City, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemned Israel for denying the patients access to medical treatment.The Israeli repressive measures add to the suffering of patients and put their lives in jeopardy as the hospitals in Gaza Strip lack the necessary equipment for treating them, the center said in a statement.