Based on events of the not-so-distant past, Israeli soldiers have reason to be extremely wary when approached at the borders by people claiming to have medical difficulties.
But soldiers made the compassionate decision to help a Syrian woman across the border so she could give birth at an Israeli hospital.
“There are no midwives in the village and there was no one to help with the delivery,” the Syrian mother, who resides in the Quneitra region, said. As a result, she asked IDF troops stationed near the border fence to help her.
The woman is a nurse, and noted she had knowledge of hundreds of Syrian refugees who were given medical care in Israeli hospitals over the past year.
“Fortunately,” she said, “the Israeli soldiers in the area saw that I was in a lot of pain, picked me up and took me to a hospital in Israel. I was afraid to make it to Israel, but I was more afraid for my baby in case the birth didn’t go smoothly at home.
“We’ve been eating mainly rice for a while, as a result of the blockade. It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve been eating meat and vegetables. I feel better and I’m relieved; I’m eating and growing stronger and my sweet baby is getting great care.”