December 19, 2007

Palestinian teen died on Wednesday due to the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza strip reported.

Dua' Omran, 18, was unable to leave Gaza to get medical treatment she needed to live due to the Israeli army closure of the strip.

The Israeli army had closed all entrances to and exits from the Gaza strip in late June shortly after Hamas took total control of the Gaza strip.

Despite of the witdrawal in September 2005, Israel still controls all entry and exit points of the Gaza Strip, and since the beginning of September 2007, all borders have been completely sealed, even for patients in dire need of medical treatment.

The Physicians for Human Rights, based in Israel, filed an appeal in the Israeli High Court several on October on behalf of eleven extremely ill Palestinian patients, in a bid to allow them to leave Gaza for lifesaving medical treatment.

Since then, four of the plaintiffs have been allowed to pass, three have died of their illnesses. On late November the High Court ruled that the four patients should receive permission to exit Gaza to receive treatment in either Israel, the West Bank or Egypt, and gave the Israeli government one week to respond.

The ruling was not final, merely a 'suggestion', coming after a two and half week delay during which two of the plaintiffs died. The army refused the case and the high court rolled out the case shortly after.

So far 42 Palestinians have died due to being prevented by Israel to leave Gaza for medical treatment, the youngest was Ibraheem Abu Nahal, one year and half old.

In earlier reports media sources in Gaza said that the army was demanding Palestinian Patients leaving Gaza to give up information about resistance leaders or they will not be allowed out of the costal region.