Palestinian access to healthcare is severely limited by Israeli control and discrimination.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli apartheid means that access to healthcare depends on who you are. Palestinians cannot access the same high-quality healthcare as Israeli settlers.
Ambulances are routinely stopped at checkpoints resulting in delays for patients, causing significant distress and sometimes even death.
Israel’s systematic discrimination means that a Palestinian woman in the West Bank is 9 times more likely to die in childbirth than an Israeli woman.
A deeper dive.
Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid regime impacts the availability, accessibility and quality of healthcare for Palestinians.
This has a detrimental effect on the health of Palestinian men, women and children. Around 1.5 million Palestinians require health-related humanitarian assistance.
Israeli restrictions on freedom of movement mean Palestinians cannot access the healthcare they need. The Apartheid Wall and 600 checkpoints across the occupied West Bank restrict the movement of around 3 million Palestinians. Palestinians are cut off from their doctors, dentists and hospitals.
Delays at checkpoints and poor road conditions prevent ambulances from reaching Palestinians in need. In contrast, Israeli ambulances have exclusive use of new Israeli-only roads.
In some parts of the occupied West Bank, 1 in 3 Palestinians rely on mobile clinics for essential health services. This means pregnant Palestinian women are forced to spend time away from home so they can be closer to the hospital.
Israel makes it difficult for Palestinian health professionals to obtain the medical equipment they need. Israel prohibits many items from reaching the besieged Gaza Strip, including diagnostic devices and medical equipment for cancer patients. In May 2021 Gaza had only 33% of the essential medical supplies it needed.
Palestinians in Gaza also have to apply for permits if they need medical treatment elsewhere. These are frequently denied by Israel. In July 2022 it was reported that Israeli authorities had rejected 1 in 3 medical permit requests for Palestinian children.
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