“I’m a photographer, so my work depends on my sight.”

“I’m a photographer, so my work depends on my sight.”

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. He received initial treatment in Gaza and Egypt, including corneal transplant and cataract operations. Due to the complexity of interventions needed, in February and September 2019 Tamer attempted twice to reach the eye clinic at Hadassah Ein Karim Hospital in Jerusalem but both times he was denied a permit by Israel to reach the hospital.

On the same day that Tamer’s second permit application was denied, he experienced a sudden worsening of his vision while traveling from Gaza City to his home in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. He was diagnosed with detachment of the retina at the back of his eye and needed urgent specialist intervention. The next month, October 2019, Tamer was approved a permit by Israel and Jordan for travel by direct shuttle to Jordan, for treatment in Amman. He traveled, but without any companion to accompany him.

“I needed somebody to guide me because my limited vision. People helped me along the way and in Jordan I asked strangers to help me until I reached the hospital. There the AP [Associated Press] manager in Jordan arrived and he helped me a lot during my stay.”

During his time in Jordan, Tamer saw his mother for the first time in nearly 20 years. She is Palestinian and lives in the town of Al-Lydd (Lod), to the west of Jerusalem. Because she has Israeli citizenship, she has not been able to visit her family in Gaza. Tamer had last seen his mother in Akka (Akko/Acre) in 2000.

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

In Jordan, Tamer had laser treatment to his right eye and surgery in his left. From January 2020, he received his first permit approval to reach Hadassah Ein Karim Hospital in Jerusalem, and he traveled to the hospital six times between 4 January and 18 April.

“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 [April]... After that, I lost five appointments. My last application for 1 August was not approved in time for my appointment.”

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 but waiting is unbearable. 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. I’m a photographer, so my work depends on my sight. I convey a message from behind the camera, but I can’t tell that message now.”

Tamer’s employer is trying to coordinate with Israeli authorities for his security clearance to travel.