The Palestinian Authority has dramatically reduced financial support for Gazans seeking medical care outside the blockaded Gaza Strip, new World Health Organization figures reveal, as President Mahmoud Abbas seeks to squeeze the Hamas-run enclave.
The number of financial approvals from June, the most recent number available, was 80 percent lower than the monthly average for 2016, the WHO said in a statement.
Just 477 Gazans were given financial approval to travel for treatment during the month, down from 1,883 in June the previous year.
Gazans seeking medical care outside of the Strip must first apply to the PA for permission and financial aid, before seeking Israeli permits.
The PA has officially denied any change in policy, but Abbas has been seeking to squeeze Gaza’s rulers Hamas through a series of measures including reducing electricity payments.
— AFP
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