Israel Helps Syrians Wounded in the Civil War
This post is also available in: 
עברית (Hebrew)
On February 13th 2013 an IDF unit, stationed along the Syrian border in the Golan Heights, came across seven wounded Syrians who asked to receive medical attention in Israel.
A few minutes later the Director of the Nahariya Hospital, Dr. Masad Barhoum, received an emergency call from the IDF: “We have badly wounded Syrians who cross the border.” Dr. Barhoum answered immediately: “We’re ready.”
That was the beginning of a unique humanitarian aid operaton, given by the IDF Medicine Corps and hospitals across northern Israel to the Syrian civil war casualties. The details of the operation were given at the Tel Aviv IPRED 3 conference, where the doctors in charge spoke about the operation from its beginning – seven casualties – until today, after more than 550 Syrian casualties were treated.
According to IDF medical team members more than 70% of the Syrian medical personnel fled the country, and the Syrian-Israeli border is closed. As some of the casualties were very badly wounded the decision was to establish a field hospital at the border for immediate medical attention. Patients may be brought to civilian hospitals later. After the treatment casualties are returned to Syria with no indication that they ever entered Israel, and a release form in English and Arabic describing the treatment they received.
IHLS – Israel Homeland Security
According to other doctors the vast majority of the casualties who reach Israel are males (92%), and their numbers keep increasing. According to Dr. Seema Biswas, from the Ziv Hospital in Tsfat, the hospital aided more than 200 Syrians so far, at first mostly young men wounded in combat and later also women, children and women giving birth. Dr. Biswas added that there are several problematic issues that Israel has to consider, such as psychological treatment for the shocked civilians, who find themselves in the mercy of traditionally hated enemies. Dr. Barhoum described severe cases, such as unconscious child who came without his family, later waking up alone and scared. Staff also couldn’t get his parent’s approval for any sort of invasive procedure. Another badly wounded child with a head injury reached the hospital alone, and died alone. According to Dr. Barhoum the nationality of the casualties doesn’t matter, only the fact that they need help.
Maj. Gen. Yitzhak Kreiss, IDF Chief Surgeon, concluded: “It’s a complicated situation. We don’t know what’s happening beyond the border, we don’t know how the wounded reach us and we have no one to ask. It’s a hostile border and the IDF is protecting it as usual, although there is no fighting between Syria and Israel.” According to Maj. Gen. Kreiss Israel doesn’t know how many wounded will arrive, when and with what type of injuries,. There are no clear answers. “One thing is clear, however,” added Kreiss: “We are determined to extend a helping hand to the other side. Who knows, maybe this is a first step towards peace.”
