Israeli authorities are preparing to send a group of 22 Palestinian patients back to Gaza from East Jerusalem hospitals this week. The group includes five newborn babies and their mothers, cancer patients in remission, and a few companions. These patients had received permission to travel to East Jerusalem for advanced medical care, most before the recent Hamas attack on Israel.
The Israeli defense ministry body, COGAT, has been working with East Jerusalem hospital officials to identify patients who no longer require in-patient treatment. These patients are now set to return to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing on Wednesday.
One of the patients, Nima Abu Garrara, arrived in East Jerusalem pregnant with twins and gave birth on October 5. She and her babies have been receiving care at Makassed Hospital. However, they now face the prospect of returning to Gaza, where the threat of an Israeli military ground offensive looms.
