Israeli Medical Association: 'Treating Hamas terrorists is our duty as doctors'

• Published date: 22 April 2024
• Author: MAARIV
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

On Sunday, the Israeli Medical Association sent a letter to hospital managers in Israel following demonstrations outside medical institutions regarding the provision of medical treatment to Hamas terrorists in Israel. The Chairman of the IMA Ethics Board, Yossef Walfisch MD, wrote that he "felt the need to emphasize the ethical obligation at this time."

An ethical debate

"We must treat everyone, including Hamas terrorists; it is our duty as doctors," the letter reads, arguing that the rules of international law, the Geneva Convention, and Israeli law all require that "a doctor treat every person regardless of who they are."

Walfisch continues by saying that the only consideration a doctor should make is the patient's medical condition. "The judicial system can bring them to justice," he says. He concludes the letter by saying that he stands fully behind doctors.

His statement on the issue comes after repeated public protests. Amiram Ben Zaken, a resident of the south who volunteers at one of the hospitals, told "Maariv" about his conflicting emotions: "I was in the hospital from the first day the war broke out. Suddenly, I was in the emergency room, and I saw a lot of policemen around a bed. I lost my temper. They warned me not to go near the hospital or record anything; they didn't want people to know that terrorists were...