Al Mezan Center for Human Rights issued a press release entitled “Gaza patients blocked from urgent medical care in Israel authority’s heightened closure measures following bombardment”, in criticism of Israel’s current policy, which allows only patients who need life-saving care to leave Gaza for treatment. Al Mezan warned that such a definition would exclude patients with cancer and other chronic diseases if their lives were not in immediate danger. The statement noted that Israel’s closure policies – including its use of crossings as a means of arbitrary arrest and attempted coercion – may have deadly consequences for those in urgent need of medical exit permits and constitute an illegal form of collective punishment. For further details, click here