Yahya al-Sinwar, leader of the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas, hosts a meeting with members of Palestinian factions on the escalation of tensions between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem at the Hamas president's office in Gaza City, (Photo by Yousef Masoud / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)
Palestinian factions meeting in Gaza, Palestine – 13 Apr 2022
JERUSALEM (AP) — The death of a 19-month-old girl in the Gaza Strip has shone a light on the struggles faced by Palestinians from the isolated territory who require urgent medical care. Israel and Egypt have imposed a blockade on Gaza since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power there nearly 15 years ago. Those requiring medical treatment abroad must apply for security permits from Israel. The World Health Organization says nearly 40% of applications were delayed or denied last year. Physicians say Fatma al-Masri, who died last month after her family’s application languished for three months, would have likely survived if she had gotten treatment at a Palestinian-run hospital in Jerusalem.
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