Rights group warns Israel's policies are pushing the West Bank healthcare system to collapse

The healthcare system in the West Bank is on the verge of collapse, according to a new report by Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI). Israeli policies, particularly the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, have severely undermined the territory's health infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians struggling to access essential medications and care.

Bassam Musleh, a 70-year-old man with heart conditions, exemplifies the crisis. After months of searching for affordable blood pressure and heart medication, he finally received it at a mobile clinic in Iktaba, West Bank. Public dispensaries were out of stock, and private pharmacies were too expensive. Musleh's struggle highlights the widespread difficulties Palestinians face in obtaining necessary medical treatment.

Since the war in Gaza began, Israel has withheld billions of dollars in tax and customs revenues collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA). This financial pressure has forced PA-funded hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics to reduce operations, with many functioning only once or twice a week. The PA's inability to pay health workers has led to staff shortages and a backlog of cases, delaying routine surgeries and impacting critical care.

Adding to the crisis, Israeli military raids and an increase in checkpoints impede the movement of Palestinians, making it difficult to reach medical facilities. Milena Ansari, PHRI's director for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, warned that "patients, not institutions, will pay the price" if the situation persists. The report details that Israel has cumulatively withheld at least $2.5 billion from the PA since 2023, a move rights groups have long accused Israel of using as political leverage.

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If this continues, it is patients, not institutions, who will pay the price.