TEL AVIV, Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the proposal to establish a field hospital to treat Palestinian children injured in Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu’s office confirmed this in a statement, noting that the Prime Minister had communicated his decision in writing, leading to the abandonment of the hospital plan.
This decision contrasts sharply with the announcement made by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s office a day earlier. Gallant’s office had promoted the field hospital as a necessary measure due to the prolonged closure of Gaza’s Rafah crossing into Egypt. The Defense Ministry had framed the hospital as a critical, temporary solution to address immediate humanitarian needs until a permanent system for evacuating and treating ill children could be established.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated significantly since the Israeli army took control of the southern Rafah crossing on May 7. This action was part of a broader military operation in Rafah, which Tel Aviv initiated despite international warnings about the humanitarian consequences. The closure of the crossing has severely restricted aid and halted patient transfers for medical treatment abroad, exacerbating the crisis as most hospitals in Gaza remain closed.
The ongoing Israeli offensive, which began following an October 7 attack by Hamas, has drawn international condemnation. Despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its military operations. Local health authorities report that the conflict has resulted in over 38,800 Palestinian deaths, predominantly women and children, and more than 89,400 injuries.
Amid the destruction and a crippling blockade of essential supplies like food, clean water, and medicine, Gaza’s infrastructure lies in ruins. Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered it to halt its operations in Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge before the city was invaded on May 6.
