Gaza shelling victim falls through cracks

Elham Ghalia, 17, who lost her family in Gaza beachfront incident, discharged from Israeli hospital. Israel doesn't admit responsibility for shooting, but Palestinian Authority also refuses to finance rehabilitation

Meital Yasur-Beit Or|Published: 01.18.07 , 21:44

Who is responsible for the fate and health of Elham Ghalia? The 17-year-old girl was wounded more than a year and-a-half ago in the Gaza beachfront bombing, and was discharged Thursday from Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Israel. But she doesn't have the possibility of going to rehabilitation as her doctors recommended.

The Palestinians claimed that the Ghalia family was injured by an IDF artillery shell. The IDF denies that it ever fired on the location where the family was staying.

Elham, who lost seven of her family members in the incident, received a referral to orthopedic rehabilitation in Beit Levinstein, but the Palestinian Authority is refusing to finance the treatment, leaving her family concerned that Elham will have to return to the Gaza Strip without proper treatment.

Her uncle, Hassan Ghalia, said, "She can't walk and can't move her hands. There are no rehabilitation services in Gaza to help her. We are concerned that if she returns to Gaza, she will stay in this condition for a long time."

"We are worried about her chances to recover. We have fallen between the cracks. The Israelis aren't willing to keep her in Israel, and the Palestinian Authority isn't willing to pay," he added.

Israel never took responsibility for strike

Ghalia was injured in her chest, limbs, and stomach. She was treated in Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip, was later transferred to Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, and was recently transferred to Assaf Haroffeh for two treatments.

Ibrahim Habib, a fieldwork coordinator for Physicians for Human Rights, explained that requests for treatment cannot be directed toward Israel because Israel never took responsibility for the event.

"We have a problem right now because we can't leave her in Assaf Haroffeh unless someone finds funding. She wants to receive treatment, and it is also difficult to drag her through the checkpoints entering Israel," said Habib.

Assaf Haroffeh Medical Center reported that it was written in Ghalia's release forms that she needs to undergo orthopedic rehabilitation at Beit Levinstein.

"We are releasing her today because there is no authorization from the Palestinian Authority to put her in rehabilitation. If authorization will arrive within two hours, we would of course be happy to admit her," it was reported.