The Israeli initiative has raised questions about political motives, while some families say they have no other choice for their sick and wounded children.
An Israeli aid organisation is preparing to open a medical clinic for children in a displacement camp in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis City in southern Gaza, in an initiative that has drawn mixed reactions from residents amid the severe deterioration of the enclave's healthcare system.
The clinic, set up by Israeli aid group Natan for the "Gaza Children's Village" project, will start operations on 1 September, aiming to serve around 10,000 children, the organisation said in a press statement.
According to the group, the facility will offer preventive checkups, vaccinations, primary healthcare, specialist consultations and rehabilitation programs for children with disabilities.
Palestinian doctors and nurses will work at the clinic, while Israeli doctors will provide specialist consultations remotely through telemedicine services, it claimed.
The wider project also includes food distribution, education and psychological support programs. It said the educational activities aim to reject hatred and incitement.
According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the clinic cost about $ 200,000 to equip and is being funded through donations from Israelis and Jews around the world.
The initiative comes as Gaza's healthcare system continues to face shortages of medicines, medical equipment and other essential supplies after nearly three years of war.
For Palestinians in war-torn Gaza, the involvement of an Israeli organisation has raised concerns about the initiative, despite the medical services it plans to provide.
Abu Mohammed, a displaced father of two, said he supports providing medical care to children but questioned the role of an Israeli organisation in delivering it.
"The problem isn't that Gaza's children receive treatment. Every child deserves it. The question is who caused these wounds in the first place?" he told The New Arab.
He said many Palestinians associate Israel with the destruction and disruption of Gaza's health facilities.
"We don't want our children to die from a lack of medicine, only for Israel to then offer them a clinic," he added.
He argued that increasing the entry of medicines and medical supplies, reopening crossings and allowing patients to travel abroad for treatment should be the priority.
Other residents expressed similar concerns, saying they are worried that humanitarian programmes could also carry political messages.
Ahmed, a young displaced Palestinian, described the project as potentially having an element of "soft power."
"When a child hears that an Israeli doctor is helping him or that an Israeli organisation is providing him with food and medicine, questions may arise," he told TNA.
He also questioned the project's educational and psychological components, particularly its emphasis on rejecting hatred and incitement.
"Who decides what constitutes hatred and what constitutes resistance? Who decides what children in Gaza should learn about the war?" he asked.
Ahmed said children should receive education, food and healthcare without their needs being connected to political or ideological messages.
**Parents seek urgent care **
For some parents, treatment comes first, particularly those with children suffering from serious illnesses.
Umm Mohammed, whose son has cancer, said her immediate concern was finding treatment for her child.
Her son requires specialised medical care that is difficult to obtain in Gaza, while restrictions on movement have complicated access to treatment outside the Strip.
"Honestly, I don't care much about who this organisation is if it can treat my son," she told TNA. "I'm a mother, and all I want is to see my son live. I don't want to think about politics when my child is sick."
She said her son was too young to understand the political circumstances surrounding his illness.
"He doesn't know who Israel is and who Palestine is. He knows he is in pain and that he needs a doctor," she said.
Her position reflects the dilemma faced by families seeking healthcare in Gaza, where the shortage of medical resources has made access to treatment increasingly difficult.
A Palestinian doctor, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said he would not currently work at the clinic because of its affiliation with an Israeli organisation.
"I am a doctor, and my job is to treat the patient, but I am also living through this war. I know what has happened to the hospitals, doctors and patients," he told TNA. "Under the current circumstances, I don't see myself working for an organization affiliated with Israel."
However, he said his position could change if the healthcare situation deteriorated further.
"If we reach a point where there are no medicines or resources, and this organization is the only one capable of providing treatment for children, I might have to reconsider my position," he added.
"Ultimately, we are doctors, and we cannot stand before a dying child and tell them we won't treat them because of who is providing the medicine."
The doctor said international and neutral health organisations would be a more acceptable option for providing such services, provided they have access to patients and sufficient medical supplies.
Ahed Ferwana, a Gaza-based Palestinian political analyst, also said the project should be viewed within the broader context of the conflict.
He said humanitarian initiatives could influence perceptions of the party providing the assistance, particularly during a war in which Israel has committed numerous violations.
"The issue is not necessarily providing treatment for children, but the context in which the aid is provided, the messages accompanying it and who determines the content of educational and psychological programs," he told TNA.
He argued that allowing independent international organisations to provide healthcare in Gaza would be more acceptable to many Palestinians.
"If Israel is serious about helping the children of Gaza, it is better to allow specialized international organizations to operate and provide them with access to patients, rather than establishing institutions affiliated with it," he said.
