Fatma Jalal al-Masri
Complications from a congenital heart defect exacerbated by denial of access to medical care outside Gaza.
Fatma’s congenital ventricular septal defect required advanced medical treatment available only outside the Gaza Strip. Despite multiple scheduled hospital appointments, Israeli authorities denied the necessary travel permits for her to access specialized care. The resulting delays and restrictions severely worsened her condition, ultimately leading to her death on March 25, 2022, at the Gaza European Hospital, where she was confined due to the blockade. This tragic outcome underscores the lethal impact of the permit system and movement restrictions imposed by Israel on Palestinian patients.
Biography
Fatma Jalal al-Masri was a 1-year-old Palestinian toddler from the Gaza Strip. She was diagnosed in 2021 with a ventricular septal defect, a serious congenital heart condition. Despite medical referrals and multiple hospital appointments at Al-Makassed Hospital in Jerusalem, she was denied the necessary Israeli exit permits to receive treatment outside Gaza. Due to the restrictions and delays imposed by Israel’s permit system, her health deteriorated over several months, and she tragically died on March 25, 2022, at the Gaza European Hospital. Fatma’s death highlights the dire consequences of Israel’s blockade and movement restrictions on Palestinian patients, particularly vulnerable children.
Fatma Jalal al-Masri was a 1-year-old Palestinian child from the Gaza Strip, born with a ventricular septal defect diagnosed in 2021. This congenital heart condition required specialized medical care unavailable within Gaza. Although she obtained referrals from the Palestinian Ministry of Health and scheduled appointments at Al-Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities repeatedly denied her exit permits through the Erez crossing, preventing her from accessing lifesaving treatment.
This denial was part of a wider pattern affecting Palestinian patients in Gaza, where approximately 30% of urgent permit requests are refused or delayed, significantly undermining the right to health. Fatma’s health declined progressively, and three weeks after missing her last appointment on March 5, 2022, she passed away at the Gaza European Hospital.
Her case exemplifies the severe humanitarian impact of Israel’s ongoing blockade and movement restrictions, which have been documented by human rights groups as systematic violations of international law and medical ethics. Fatma’s death is part of a broader pattern where dozens of Palestinians, including many children and women, have died due to permit denials since 2011.
Additional Information
Sources & References
Fatma Jalal al-Masri, 1, was declared dead at the Gaza European Hospital after she was denied access to a hospital outside Gaza by Israeli authorities at the Erez crossing. Fatma was subjected to Israel’s arbitrary and discriminatory permit system, which delays access to hospitals outside the Strip and denies care in around 30 percent of urgent cases. The continued movement restrictions by Israeli authorities on Palestinian patients in the Gaza Strip systematically violate inhabitants’ right to health by aggravating health conditions and placing numerous barriers to health access.1 israelpalestinetimeline.org Open source