Thousands of Palestinians are reportedly faking deadly illnesses such as cancer to receive permission to leave Gaza for medical treatment in Israel. Once in Israel, however, many stay and work illegally, while others move to the West Bank, the Associated Press reports.
Before allowing a Gaza resident access into Israel, IDF officials check with a Palestinian committee to confirm the patient is actually sick. According to the report, Gaza residents bribe their doctors to pay off physicians serving on the committee. Bribes range from $100-$500.
Whereas some Palestinians leave because of the poverty in Gaza, others want to escape Hamas. As Jonathan Schanzer notes, Hamas rules “through a combination of violence, authoritarianism, and Islamism.” Indeed, after the terrorist organization conquered Gaza in 2007, “the Talibanization of Gaza” has grown progressively worse.
