An Israeli medical staff member tends to a Syrian young boy, who was wounded in the violence in Syria, as he lies on a hospital bed during his treatment at Ziv hospital, which perches on a rocky hilltop in the upper Galilee town of Safed. Menahem Kahana / AFP
An Israeli medical staff member tends to a Syrian young boy, who was wounded in the violence in Syria, as he lies on a hospital bed during his treatment at Ziv hospital, which perches on a rocky hilltop in the upper Galilee town of Safed. Menahem Kahana / AFP
An Israeli medical staff member tends to a Syrian young boy, who was wounded in the violence in Syria, as he lies on a hospital bed during his treatment at Ziv hospital, which perches on a rocky hilltop in the upper Galilee town of Safed. Menahem Kahana / AFP
An Israeli medical staff member tends to a Syrian young boy, who was wounded in the violence in Syria, as he lies on a hospital bed during his treatment at Ziv hospital, which perches on a rocky hillt

Revealed: how Syrian rebels seek medical help from an unlikely source in Israel


  • English
  • Arabic

BEIRUT / AMMAN // When a rebel was shot and severely wounded during a new offensive on Syria’s southern front, his colleagues knew the only hope of saving his life was to get him to Israel.

The rebels called their contact on the Syrian side of the frontier, a man known as Abu Nidal, who had a phone given to him by the Israelis to facilitate emergency border crossings.

Abu Nidal called Israeli forces, which put an ambulance on standby and the rebels took the injured fighter to a crossing point and left him there.

After the rebels pulled back, Israeli soldiers checked the patient for booby-traps and weapons, and then whisked him over the border and rushed him to hospital.

This scenario from last week has played out more than 200 times in the past six months, rebels in southern Syria said.

Wounded civilians and fighters have been ferried across one of the world’s most bitterly disputed frontiers, as Syrians seek expert medical treatment from a country they once viewed as the enemy.

Syria and Israel have officially been at war since 1948, and Syrians have grown up with state propaganda blaming the country’s problems on Israel and its main ally, the United States.

With the uprising-turned-war against the president, Bashar Al Assad, however, rebels engaged in combat near Israel have begun to reassess who is friend and who is foe.

Possible motivations for Israel offering such help are numerous. To start with, it gains intelligence and develops useful contacts with more moderate rebel factions.

And Israel also has to be wary of rebel factions linked to Al Qaeda taking control of the Syria-side of its frontier, something it is at pains to avoid fearing it would then be attacked. Earning some goodwill among local Syrians through provision of medical care may pay dividends in keeping Al Qaeda groups away.

Transporting wounded across the border is, from the rebel point of view, fairly easy. They call Abu Nidal, take the wounded to the border and leave. The Israelis do the rest.

"More than 250 of our people have gone across, they get amazing medical care there," said a rebel commander in Deraa, where a new offensive known as Geneva Horan is under way.

“We’ve had wounded people taken across and get airlifted to specialist facilities far inside Israel, we couldn’t dream of getting that kind of treatment here, our field hospitals don’t even have proper doctors or pain killers.”

According to Israeli media, 700 civilians, including the elderly and children, have been treated for war injuries in a field hospital set up a year ago in the Golan Heights, territory Israel annexed from Syria in 1981 after seizing it during the 1967 war, a move not recognised by the international community.

Getting wounded men into Israel for treatment is sometimes more straightforward than transporting them into Jordan, where rebels say the authorities have a more lengthy screening process that the severely injured can ill afford to wait out.

Rebel commanders recount cases in which wounded fighters were turned back from the Jordan border, the closest exit at the time, and taken to Israel instead. Some have died en route having been rejected by Amman, rebels said.

Those taken for treatment in Israel are not harshly treated and are only questioned if they agree to talk to Israeli security officers, according to rebels in southern Syria. Those who refuse to speak are given medical care and allowed to recuperate alongside those who opt to share information.

“The Israelis are mainly interested in the Islamists, they want to know their numbers and locations and even the most trivial details about them,” said another rebel commander who has sent wounded fighters over the frontier.

“They also want to know what kind of weapons the rebels have, what quantities, what capabilities.”

In Deraa the more extreme rebel fringe has limited presence compared to other parts of the country, but Jabhat Al Nusra, an Al Qaeda affiliate, remains a significant force and the Islamic Muthanna Movement, ideologically close to more radical groups, is also powerful.

Both groups knew about rebels seeking medical aid in Israel, and turned a blind eye to it, rebel commanders said.

“It’s not a secret and they [Al Nusra and the Muthanna Movement] know that if the wounded don’t get help in Israel they will die, so they look the other way and wounded fighters get a chance to live,” said a rebel commander.

Syrians from Deraa, the birthplace of the uprising and an area that has long been garrisoned by regime troops because of its proximity to Israel, have been appreciative of the medical assistance.

“Any help we can get we appreciate and in my opinion if the Israel air force want come and bomb some of Assad’s bases here, they’d be very welcome,” said a Deraa resident.

When they are discharged and returned across the border, rebels say the recovered patients are given between US$200 (Dh735) and $1,000 in cash and supplies of whatever medicines they need for their recovery. Many rebels in Deraa have been fighting without pay for months.

Israel has been discreet about its provision of the medical care, although it allowed TV cameras into a field hospital last month for the first time.

Its medical aid for the opposition fighters has prompted speculation that even greater help is going to Syrian rebels, including suggestions of intelligence sharing on regime forces and even arms supplies.

It remains a highly sensitive issue and the identities of Syrians being treated in Israel are kept secret, out of fear of mistrust from their friends and retribution, either from Islamic extremists or the regime.

Israel’s policy towards the revolt appears to have been as confused as western policy. The conflict, which has killed more than 136,000 people, has prompted worries about the growing role of Al Qaeda, Iran and Hizbollah.

Israel is widely reported to have carried out missile strikes to prevent weapons transfers from the Syrian regime to Hizbollah, but they have been limited.

The wounded fighter stretchered across the border on February 2, just a day into the Geneva Horan offensive, received medical treatment but died. His corpse was returned to Syria, cleaned and with a note of condolence attached, written in Arabic, together with a thorough medical report detailing cause of death.

An opposition activist from Deraa was quick to contrast that with the treatment of Syrian wounded in regime administered hospitals, where human-rights groups and the UN have documented the injured being arrested, refused treatment and tortured by government security agents.

“Wounded Syrians go to Israeli hospitals and their lives are usually saved but if they go to a Syrian [regime] hospital, they are more likely to be killed,” the activist said.

psands@thenational.ae

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.

As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.

Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.

Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.

Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."

Results

Female 49kg: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) bt Thamires Aquino (BRA); points 0-0 (advantage points points 1-0).

Female 55kg: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Amal Amjahid (BEL); points 4-2.

Female 62kg: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR); 10-2.

Female 70kg: Thamara Silva (BRA) bt Alessandra Moss (AUS); submission.

Female 90kg: Gabreili Passanha (BRA) bt Claire-France Thevenon (FRA); submission.

Male 56kg: Hiago George (BRA) bt Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA); 2-2 (2-0)

Male 62kg: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) bt Joao Miyao (BRA); 2-2 (2-1)

Male 69kg: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Isaac Doederlein (USA); 2-2 (2-2) Ref decision.

Male 77kg: Tommy Langarkar (NOR) by Oliver Lovell (GBR); submission.

Male 85kg: Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE); 2-2 (1-1) Ref decision.

Male 94kg: Kaynan Duarte (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL); submission.

Male 110kg: Joao Rocha (BRA) bt Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE); submission.

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Alpha%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Beta%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Cupcake%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Donut%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Eclair%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Froyo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Gingerbread%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Honeycomb%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Ice%20Cream%20Sandwich%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Jelly%20Bean%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20KitKat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Lollipop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Marshmallow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Nougat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Oreo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Pie%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2010%20(Quince%20Tart*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2011%20(Red%20Velvet%20Cake*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2012%20(Snow%20Cone*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2013%20(Tiramisu*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2014%20(Upside%20Down%20Cake*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2015%20(Vanilla%20Ice%20Cream*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3E*%20internal%20codenames%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is Reform?

Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.

It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.

Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.

After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.

Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.

The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE

2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.

2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus

2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.

2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.

2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

UAE v Zimbabwe A, 50 over series

Fixtures
Thursday, Nov 9 - 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 11 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Monday, Nov 13 – 2pm, Dubai International Stadium
Thursday, Nov 16 – 2pm, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 18 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions