22 November 2021 – Maisa is 37 years old and from Deir Al Balah refugee camp in the Middle Area of the Gaza Strip. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in July 2021.

Since July, Maisa applied 3 times for a permit to reach An-Najah Hospital in the West Bank, to receive cancer treatments that are not available in the Gaza Strip. None of her applications has been approved, and she has still not been able to receive the treatment she needs. 

As a mother of 7, Maisa described how she likes to teach her children and support them with their homework. She said, “I like to tell my children stories and I love to help them with drawing and decorating their notebooks.” She also likes to write: “When I feel stressed, I write about my troubles but I never share my writing with others. I feel a relief after writing and then I throw away what I wrote.” In recent months, however, Maisa has had less energy to do the things she loves. 

Maisa’s health has been worsening. She said, “Now I struggle to climb the stairs to our apartment on the fourth floor. It makes me breathless and causes me pain in my chest, and I missed some appointments at the hospital because of the difficulty in getting in and out of the house. My daughters and my husband are having to take care of me. My daughters divide their time between studying, taking care of me, and looking after the house. I used to enjoy visiting my brothers in Gaza City, but recently we haven’t been able to visit. My family become afraid when I get tired going out.”

Maisa worries about how her children are affected by her illness. “The worst is when I suffer pain and my young children look at me. They want to help but they can’t and I see the sadness in their eyes. It adds to my pain.”

Mohammed, Maisa’s husband, commented “I want to help my wife and I’m trying to do my best in this dire situation, but I feel helpless. I want her to get the treatment she needs as soon as possible. I would sell our car to cover the expenses if needed, but the treatment just isn’t available in Gaza. We would travel to Egypt if we can’t reach the West Bank, but there are so many delays. Maisa has waited too long, she needs this treatment now.”

14 November 2021 - The decision on 7 November of the Military Commander in the West Bank to declare by Military Orders the six Palestinian NGOs as unauthorized in the West Bank deepens the concern of the UN Agencies and the Association International Development Agencies (AIDA), working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The decision is a further erosion of civic and humanitarian space and stands to significantly constrain the work of the six organisations which have worked with the international community, including the UN, for decades, providing essential services to countless Palestinians.

“These allegations are taken very seriously. To date, none of the UN agencies nor AIDA organisations have received written documentation which could serve as a basis for the allegations”, said United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the OPT, Lynn Hastings. She added that “we will continue to engage with all relevant partners for more information”.

Counter-terrorism legislation must be in accordance with obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, which include full respect for the rights to freedom of association and expression. It cannot be applied to legitimate human rights and humanitarian work; the breadth of the Israeli 2016 Anti-Terrorism legislation and its impact on the presumption of innocence present serious concerns under international law.

With our strong commitment to the indispensable role of civil society in democratic life and in finding peaceful solutions to conflict, many of us work with and some financially support these organizations. Past allegations of misuse of our funds by Palestinian civil society organization partners have not been substantiated. We will continue to stand by international law and civil society organizations that promote international humanitarian law, human rights and democratic values.

Contacts:

AIDA: Joseph Kelly, (972) 54-6703864, Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

UNSCO: Murad Bakri, (972) 54-5627815, Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

Tamer is a 39-year-old photojournalist from Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, working for the Associated Press (AP).

His sight has been deteriorating since he was diagnosed with a congenital eye condition in 2017. Tamer has required extensive treatments and investigations, not all available in the Gaza Strip.

Before May this year, Tamer had received permits from Israel to reach health care in Jordan and at Hadassah Ein Karim Hospital in Jerusalem. While in Jordan, he saw his mother for the first time in nearly 20 years. She is Palestinian and lives in Al-Lydd but has been unable to visit her family in Gaza because of having Israeli citizenship.

“At Hadassah, they told me I would need surgery for my right eye as well, but it would only be possible after my left eye improved… I had smooth access to Hadassah up until May... After that, I lost four appointments. My last application for 1 August was not approved in time for my appointment.”

Table 1: History of Tamer’s applications for an Israeli medical permit and outcomes

Tamer talked about how his illness and the uncertainty of accessing treatment has affected his health and his family life during these past years.

“I want to go back to what I had before, even half the vision I had before. I’ve gained weight and it hurts to stay at home and not be able to move like I used to. I’ll apply as many as needed to get a permit to reach treatment... The AP [Associated Press] is trying and won’t stop until we get good news. I need the treatment; I can’t stay at home like this. I’ve had to bear this for three years.

My children are young, and my wife has supported me through all this. The kids see their father stay home rather than the active father they knew before – who was working, who took them out, who took them down to the beach. I’m not able to do any of those things with them now.”

As a photojournalist, Tamer worries about his work and his future.

“I’m so afraid of losing my sight. If I lose that, I won’t be able to work, and my work is like the air I breathe. The wait is unbearable.”