An American surgeon, specialising in abdominal injury rehabilitation, has been barred from entering Gaza, preventing him from providing urgent medical care to thousands of patients. The doctor, who had previously visited the Strip twice and received initial clearance from the authorities, was reportedly stopped at the last moment while in Jordan and has since been left waiting with no explanation for the decision.

This incident follows a broader pattern of restrictions on foreign medical personnel seeking to enter both Gaza and the West Bank. Earlier in November, a team of American doctors was similarly prevented from accessing the West Bank despite having coordinated their visit through official channels. Local health professionals warn that such restrictions exacerbate the collapse of the healthcare system, leaving patients without vital treatment amid the ongoing genocidal war.

Humanitarian observers say that limiting the entry of doctors is part of wider policies that impede access to life-saving care. They argue that these barriers put already vulnerable populations at heightened risk, particularly in a context where hospitals are overwhelmed, medications are scarce, and patients face delays in receiving treatment for severe conditions.