‘No freedom at all’: Israeli closures leave West Bank patients trapped

Core Impact Points

• The Israeli military has imposed a de facto lockdown on the West Bank, restricting access to medical care and forcing ambulance crews to navigate lengthy detours and prolonged checkpoint delays.
• The closures have resulted in fatal delays, including the death of a six-month pregnant woman whose unborn baby died before reaching the hospital.
• The medical supply shortage in the West Bank is worsening, with a researcher at Physicians for Human Rights-Israel stating that the healthcare system is 'collapsing'.
• The United Nations has recorded over 925 Israeli-imposed obstacles to movement across the territory, affecting an estimated 3.4 million Palestinians.
• Medical professionals are being forced to deliver babies in inadequate conditions, with one doctor delivering a baby in a village clinic due to the roadblocks.
• The Israeli military's actions are being condemned as a form of collective punishment, with a researcher stating that the tactics employed in Gaza are being replicated in the West Bank.