Israeli authorities have stopped the transfer of patients from the Gaza Strip to Israel and East Jerusalem, after they objected to their hospital transfer request forms bearing the letterhead which read “State of Palestine”.
A spokesman for COGAT, the Israeli military authority that deals with entry permits told Reuters,
"On Sunday (the Palestinians) filed a range of requests ... on a document that said 'State of Palestine'. On the spot, we returned it to them, saying they should refile the request on appropriate paperwork."
50 Palestinians were denied transfers, whilst 10 urgent cases were allowed to pass, said the spokesman.
In Ramallah, Omar al-Naser of the Palestinian Health Ministry said that the forms were no different to those that have been used for over a year, whilst the Palestinian Center for Human Rights slammed the move as "a blatant violation of international humanitarian law" and "a cruel punishment."