A Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund 3 man French team completed its week long mission to the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza on November 12 after training local surgeons and performing expert orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery on needy patients. Professor Christophe Oberlin has led several past missions to help the people of Gaza. The team also included anaesthesiologist Dr. Christophe Denetes and surgeon Dr. Azez Rafee Asan.
As reported by Ma’an Newsagency on November 8, one of the team was denied entrance by the IDF. The PCRF now reveal this team member was British doctor, Dr. Asan, who was denied entry by Israel “despite having a prior permit and working there in the past“. Dr. Asan is originally from Iraq. Israel has a disturbing record of denying entry to doctors to the Gaza Strip.
This French mission was sponsored through the PCRF by the Firedoll Foundation of California.
The PCRF is one of the few American-registered NGOs with a license from the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) from the US Dept. of Treasury enabling them to work in the government hospitals in Gaza to provide humanitarian surgical care for sick and needy patients. Australia also participates in PCRF projects through the Australian Friends of Palestine Association.