Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem said on Tuesday that it was refusing to treat a Hamas terrorist, according to Hebrew media reports.
The medical center stated that security officials had attempted to admit the terrorist during the night, but that he was refused entry and thrown out of the building.
“At Hadassah, terrorists from the Iron Swords [the name of the Israel Defense Forces operation against Hamas in Gaza] war are not treated,” the hospital said in a statement.
Israeli Health Minister Moshe Arbel announced in a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Oct. 11 that he had instructed all public hospitals to stop treating Hamas terrorists.
On Oct. 7, at least 1,500 terrorists broke through the Israel-Gaza barrier and rampaged across southern Israeli communities—murdering more than 1,400 people and wounding more than 4,000. At least 199 men, women and children were taken back to Gaza as captives.
“Since the beginning of the fighting, the issue of treating the damned and despicable Hamas terrorists within the public hospitals has piled up a tremendous difficulty on the health system,” wrote the minister.
“In these difficult times, the health system should focus fully on the treatment of the victims of the criminal massacre, IDF soldiers and readiness for the next [attack],” he continued.
“The task of securing and treating the cursed and despicable terrorists within the public health system significantly harms these efforts and therefore, under my guidance, the public health system will not treat them,” he added.
Arbel called on Netanyahu to “immediately” instruct the relevant bodies to act in accordance with the new directive.
Gaza resident caught in Netivot
An unarmed Gaza resident was caught in an open area near the southern Israeli community of Netivot on Tuesday, according to Hebrew media reports.
The man was taken to a local police station for questioning. It is suspected that he entered Israel on Oct. 7 as part of the mass border infiltration from the Strip.