Arguing over borders and border control when people are trying to kill each other is an easy decision- if there is a history of one country terrorizing another country, it seems reasonable to raise defenses or, in the extreme case of the Israel-Gaza border, to actually shut down the border and tightly control the flow of people in and out. But does that mean that people who are dying should be stuck and not able to cross the border for what could amount to life-saving medical care in the much better equipped hospitals and medical facilities of Israel?

The United Nations has announced that the blockade puts Palestinian patients in Gaza at risk- uh, thanks for the clarification UN. The state of health care assessment comes a year after the tightened controls on Gaza by Israel and the publication of a new report on the state of health in Gaza by U.N. agencies and the Association for International Development Agencies (AIDA).

“We have had extreme cases of patients dying because they could not get out to get the more advanced medical care in Israel," said Max Gaylard, resident Humanitarian Coordinator for the Palestinian territories.

He admits that Israel does care for some who are sick in Gaza, that the situation isn’t all bad.

"It is quite true that hundreds of patients do get out to Israel. That has been happening on a continuing basis. That is good and we welcome it and the Israelis are to be commended for that. I think we are concerned about the ones who do not go out and there are too many of them," he continued.

It’s hard to argue with the simple fact that there is advanced medical care right next door, and it isn’t available to everyone.

Like Gaylard says, "It is causing on-going deterioration in the social, economic and environmental determinants of health. It is hampering the provision of medical supplies and the training of health staff and it is preventing patients with serious medical conditions getting timely specialized treatment.

Israel allows some drugs and supplies to pass from their country into Gaza, but often they are delayed and delayed or not enough make it across the border to keep from there being a shortage in Gaza. There has been a recent increase in the number of approvals by Israel to let patients in from Gaza, but around 21% or so are denied permission to cross the border. Some on the Israeli side say that Gaza should be thankful for what it gets:

"Not only are we doing our utmost to allow the people of Gaza every possible medical treatment, but we are doing this in a situation in which their own government is imposing a state of war and trying deliberately to harm Israelis, including those whose mission is to assist the very people of Gaza," says Yigal Palmor, spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry.

A decent point, as this is one of those dilemmas where the many are being punished for the despicable acts of the few.

Photo Credit: Zoriah (via Flickr under CCL)