Initiated by Alice Miller: An Israeli clinic to open in Gaza to treat about 10,000 children

An Israeli clinic is expected to open on September 1 in a displaced persons camp in the Al-Qarara area of Al-Mawasi, in the southern Gaza Strip. The clinic, established as part of an initiative by the Israeli humanitarian aid organization "Nathan," is intended to provide medical care to about 10,000 children who receive education and hot meals as part of the Gaza Children Village project.

The clinic was established with an investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars, sourced from donations by Israelis and American Jews. A Gazan medical team will be the one to receive and treat the children on-site, while the "Nathan" organization will provide medical equipment as well as a system of remote medical consultation from Israeli doctors.

The project is managed by the organization's CEO Alice Miller, an aeronautical engineer and civilian pilot known for her historic petition to the Supreme Court that led to the opening of the Air Force flight course to women, and in collaboration with Dr. David Hassan, founder of Gaza Children Village. The "Nathan - Worldwide Relief" organization, named after peace activist Abie Nathan, has been operating for years in disaster zones around the world, providing humanitarian and medical aid.

According to Miller, due to restrictions on the activities of Israeli organizations inside the Strip, the organization's activity in Gaza is carried out mainly remotely, through local and international partners. According to the organization, the "Nathan" system includes more than 1,800 staff members and volunteers, including doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and dentists.

The new clinic is intended to add a medical response to the system that already provides children in the Gaza Children Village framework with an educational setting, food, and additional support.

"Every child deserves access to basic medical care, no matter where they were born or what circumstances surround them," said Miller. — "This clinic is a direct response to the need we saw with our own eyes in the children's village in Gaza."

Dr. Hassan added that the medical response completes the aid package for the children. "These children need a place to gather and learn, a meal so they don't remain with an empty stomach, and physical treatment for bodies suffering from extreme humanitarian conditions. This clinic gives us the last part - the physical treatment they can receive," he said.

Last December, Alice Miller spoke about the humanitarian activity she began promoting inside the Strip. At that time, the organization focused, among other things, on assisting women and girls by distributing reusable pads, as part of the cooperation with Gaza Children Village. Miller said then that the organization is in direct contact with women in Gaza through an American partner. In the interview, she told of a 14-year-old girl who got her first period while staying in a tent, and did not have suitable hygiene products.

Miller also addressed the criticism she received in Israel due to the aid to the residents of the Strip: "I don't deal with politics, that's not what I do. We are a humanitarian organization. My heart cannot remain closed to people's pain." According to her, even in times of war, it is important to show compassion towards children and civilians: "Part of the advocacy we need to do is to show the world acts of compassion."

Since then, Gaza Children Village has expanded significantly. According to the organization, it currently operates a system of educational frameworks in the Strip where children receive studies, meals, medical care, and mental support, and it presents a goal of creating a permanent system that will accompany children even beyond the immediate humanitarian response. The opening of the clinic in Al-Qarara is another stage in this cooperation.