By Sara Sorcher - Israel 21c
When a young Palestinian from the Gaza Strip was shot in the leg last year by Hamas during the ongoing conflict between the two main Palestinian political parties, Hamas and Fatah, he was offered treatment in both Egypt and Jordan, but instead he chose to go to Israel.
When I was injured I chose to come to Israel because it's well known that the treatment here is better than in Egypt - by a lot - or in Gaza. I had to have a microsurgery to replace a tendon in my foot, and I knew this was the best place to do it," the man told ISRAEL21c. He insisted that his identity be hidden, for fear of repercussions from Hamas.
The young Gazan's presence in an Israeli hospital isn't unique.
Every year thousands of Palestinian patients from Gaza and the West Bank are treated in Israeli hospitals across the country. Patients also come from many Arab countries, some of which still don't even recognize Israel.
Both patients and doctors regard these vital surgeries as more than just medical treatment. Instead they see them as a unique way to help the peace process progress, by building an important "bridge of trust".