Israel re-operates X-ray chamber at Rafah Crossing

The PA Public Health Ministry announced Saturday that Israel has re-operated the dangerous "X-ray" chamber to check out Palestinians at Rafah Crossing on the borders between Gaza Strip and Egypt.

Chief of Emergency in the ministry, Moaweya Hasanen said that Israeli occupation forces at the crossing are forcing the Palestinian passengers to the chamber for checking, adding that "using such kind of rays at Rafah crossing to check Palestinian passengers would cause severe side effects and cause fatal diseases in the future."

On the other hand, Palestinian Minister of Crossings and Borders Salim Abu Safeya said that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has asked Israel to stop using The X-ray chamber or "The death chamber", as Palestinian physicians and passengers have described it, and is waiting for its response over the issue.

"We will not hinder in closing the crossing in case Israel insisted on using such equipments".

"We ordered the Palestinian employees on the border to prevent passengers from leaving Gaza Strip for their safety," he said.

The X-ray chamber has dangerous affect which is unique of its kind and was specially prepared to check the Palestinian citizens passing the terminal.

Palestinian passengers say that "the room made of lead-fortified glass equipped with an accumulative X-ray that penetrates the human body."

Palestinian doctors have said previously that the equipment causes dangerous and hard-to-treat diseases that only appear after a long time.

Meanwhile, Juma' Al Saqqa, speaking from Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said that the International Agency for Nuclear Radiation has issued standards and doses for radiation that must not be exceeded even in hospitals, "but the Israeli scheme violates the international X-ray standards."

Several human rights and health organizations have repetitively called on Israel to remove the rays' equipments to ensure the safety of the Palestinians who use the crossing on a daily basis.