GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah announced on March 26 the halting of medical transfers to Israeli hospitals and vowed to find alternatives for Palestinian patients in private and government hospitals.
The Ministry of Health's decision comes as part of escalatory steps being taken to protest Israeli measures. The boycott between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel worsened after the PA refused Feb. 27 to accept the tax revenues that Israel collects on its behalf to protest Israel’s Feb. 17 decision to slash 502 million shekels ($138 million) yearly in PA tax revenues, which is the amount the PA paid out in 2018 in stipends to detainees, those injured in attacks or violence, or families of those killed.
Palestinian news agency Wafa cited Ministry of Health spokesperson Osama al-Najjar as saying March 26 that the bill of medical transfers to Israeli hospitals, which the Palestinian Ministry of Health has to pay, is estimated at $100 million per year — or 22% of the annual budget of the ministry — according to the Civil Society Team for Enhancing Public Budget Transparency.
Israeli hospitals send Palestinian patients' bills to the Ministry of Health, an amount that would be deducted from the tax revenues that Israel transfers monthly to the PA.
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