Israel has decided to grant a humanitarian request from Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh to permit treating his granddaughter, Amal Haniyeh, in Schneider Children�s Hospital in Petach Tikvah. The child underwent a barrage of diagnostic exams earlier in the week in an effort to save her life and he was then sent back to Gaza�s Shifa Hospital in the same condition she arrived.

The young patient passed the Erez Crossing on Shabbos afternoon 13 Kislev 5774 in critical condition, the result of a digestive tract disease. Israeli officials were aware the patient was a grandchild of Hamas� prime minister, but permitted the humanitarian transport. The child arrived at Schneider Hospital in a state described as �clinically dead�.

After doctors decided there was nothing they could do to save the child�s life she was sent back to the Gaza hospital. Officials at Schneider explained that they cannot discuss the case due to patient confidentiality.

Interestingly, the child�s father and prime minister�s son, Abed el-Salim Haniyeh on Shabbos posted to his Facebook page that his child was heading to Israel for care. �Amal is now heading over to Israel. I call on god to give her health� read the Facebook posting. Ismail, the prime minister, visited the child in Gaza prior to setting out to Israel.

Back in 2012 Israel permitted the prime minister�s sister to enter with her husband to permit him to receive urgent medical care following a severe heart attack. He was treated in Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah. That treatment was successful and the patient had a full recovery.

(YWN � Israel Desk, Jerusalem)