Palestinian hospitals in Jerusalem refuse to be 'used to advance normalisation' for Israel
Palestinian hospitals in Jerusalem refuse to be 'used to advance normalisation' for Israel
"We told him very clearly that while this help is very appreciated, our end goal as Palestinians is the end of occupation and not the improvement of life under it," said the president of the Eastern Jerusalem Hospitals network, Abdel Qader Husseini.
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The US pledged $US 100 million to the Augusta Victoria hospital, while four Arab Gulf states pledged together $US 100 million more to other hospitals in the city. [Getty]
Palestinian hospitals in Jerusalem "will not be used to ", the president of the Eastern Jerusalem Hospitals network, Abdel Qader Husseini, told °®Âþµº.
Husseini's comments came after four Arab Gulf states pledged US$ 100 million to assist Jerusalem's Palestinian hospitals. This amount is in addition to the previously announced $US 100 million pledge by US president Joe Biden during his latest visit to the country last weekend.
During his visit to , that the US will commit a sum of $US 100 million to hospitals in eastern Jerusalem.
Later on Saturday, , at the end of which four Gulf states pledged an additional $US 100 million for Jerusalem's hospitals.
Activists raise Balloons with a Palestinian flag in the sky during Biden’s visit to Augusta Victoria hospital in occupied Jerusalem.
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng)
"This is a very important help to the ," stressed Husseini. "There is no political side to this matter, especially that the countries involved don't all have the same stand towards normalisation."
The White House said in a statement that the US part of $US 100 million will be presented to the US Congress for approval. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE had committed US$ 25 million each, the White House statement added.
. While Saudi Arabia has recently opened its airspace for Israeli airliners,.
A reporter wears a shirt requesting justice for slain Palestinian-American journalist at President Joe Biden’s stop at Augusta Victoria Hospital Friday morning in East Jerusalem.
— "Solidarity is a verb" (@SaveSJarrah)
The four countries and the US aid to Jerusalem's hospitals would be delivered over ten years, according to the White House statement, which didn't provide further details.
The main beneficiary was announced to be in Jerusalem. The hospital will receive the US$ 100 million package.
The UAE announced on Sunday that its $US 25 million will be sent to the Islamic Maqased hospital, the largest Palestinian hospital in Jerusalem, Strip.
"Part of the sum will be used to develop the hospitals' infrastructure," Husseini noted. "The other part will be used to close the debts accumulated on the Palestinian Health ministry, for the medical transfers from Palestinian public hospitals to ."
U.S President Biden in his visit to Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem pledges financial support to lift the hospital out of debt
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN)
"Since Biden's visit, we have not been informed of any details about how the money will be delivered, but we hope that the money will be given to the hospitals directly," Husseini further noted.
"In any case, we made it clear to president Biden himself ," said Husseini, who met Biden during his visit to Jerusalem for 12 minutes, alongside the directors of the other eastern Jerusalem hospitals.
"We told him very clearly that while this help is very appreciated, our end goal as Palestinians is the end of occupation and not the improvement of life under it," he stressed.
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