A report in Israeli news revealed that when Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas was close to death this summer, Israel sent a specialist to Ramallah who helped save his life.
According to Ynet, doctors feared Abbas would suffer complete systems failure when he was admitted to Istishari Arab Hospital in Ramallah with pneumonia on May 20, 2018, his second hospitalization in just 24 hours.
When Israel learned of Abbas’s condition, it offered to admit him to an Israeli hospital, a gesture that was declined.
When it became clear that Abbas was on the brink of death, Israel sent a top specialist to Ramallah, who joined a team of doctors from around the world who were treating the P.A. leader. Just two days later, Abbas’s condition began to improve, and he was discharged from the hospital a week later.
Since then, Abbas has returned to work, though he has reportedly quit smoking. He has also reportedly suffered a severe reduction in energy and developed problems with memory loss.
The Times of Israel reported that it questioned P.A. officials as to the veracity of the information, and they denied the involvement of any Israeli medical professionals in Abbas’s recovery.