Ramallah, 03-10-08: Miryam Judah, 32, died yesterday of breast cancer in Gaza after being denied exit by the Israeli authorities to receive life-saving medical treatment unavailable in the Strip. She is the 37th Gazan to die because of the Israeli policy of denying access to life-saving treatment outside of the Strip since June 2007, when Israel imposed a siege on Gaza.
Dr. Barghouthi MP, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, expressed his distress at the complete lack of reaction to this latest death. "It is murder. The Israelis knew she needed urgent life-saving treatment, and they let her die. Because her crime was to be a sick Palestinian in Gaza.". He added "this collective punishment is a blatant violation of international law".
Dr. Barghouthi explained that "there are several hundred patients in Gaza diagnosed with a critical condition who have referrals for life-saving treatment unavailable in the Strip, and who are blocked from leaving by Israel. They are simply waiting to die."
He urged the international community to pressure Israel to lift the siege on Gaza, and to end the collective punishment against the Palestinian people.