Pushing back against Gallant, PM says field hospital won’t be established in Israel for Gazan children

The Prime Minister’s Office says that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has informed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in writing that he will not approve the establishment of a field hospital in Israel to treat Gazan children who are unable to receive medical care abroad.

The statement says that in light of the lack of approval from Netanyahu, the field hospital in Israel will “therefore will not be established.”

Gallant’s office announced the establishment of the field hospital yesterday, saying it was due to the extended closure of Gaza’s Rafah crossing into Egypt.

The crossing has been closed since Israeli forces captured it in early May. Egypt has refused to reopen the crossing while the Gazan side remains under Israeli control.

“This is a significant short-term solution that will address immediate humanitarian needs until a permanent mechanism is established to evacuate and treat ill children,” Gallant’s office said yesterday, without providing a timeline or details on whether the hospital would be run by Israel or another entity.

Gallant told his US counterpart, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, about the plan for the field hospital along the Gaza border, during a call earlier this week.