Norwegian Doctor Banned From Entering Gaza

On November 14th, 2014, the BBC reported that a Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert was trying to enter into Gaza to provide medical relief to those in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. However, according to reports, the Israeli military did not allow him to enter. Gilbert has been working in Gaza for years, and “worked at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza city during the 50-day summer conflict.”

Israeli officials stated that the reason for not allowing him into Gaza was due to security reasons. And despite the fact that he stated that he did not break any laws or rules, he was not allowed to enter. But along with not allowing him to enter now, there seems to be a lifetime ban for Gilbert; he will not be able to enter Gaza at all. 

He believes that the reason is due to his statements regarding Israel’s actions during in Gaza, where over 2100 Palestinians were killed (BBC, 2014), many of them children and noncombatants. As Haaretz (2014) explains, citing Electronic Intifada, “During the recent war, Gilbert accused Israel of committing “state terrorism at a very sophisticated and very high level,” and said its army was “using a wide variety of sophisticated modern weapons against a basically naked civilian population,” according to The Electronic Intifada website.”

If it is true that he did not break any laws, then it is quite sad that he was not able to enter in Gaza to help Palestinians who have been affected by the Israeli occupation, and the recent actions by the Israeli military. Norway he spoken out on the issue; “Norway’s secretary of state, Bard Glad Pedersen, was quoted by The Local as telling Verdens Gang newspaper: “From the Norwegian perspective, we have raised Gilbert’s exclusion from Gaza and asked Israel to change their decision. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is still difficult and there is a need for all health workers” (Haaretz, 2014).