The Israel Defense Forces opened a field hospital at Erez Crossing on July 20, 2014 which tended to sick and injured Palestinians from Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operated a field hospital at the Gaza Strip border, providing emergency and humanitarian treatment for the Palestinians of Gaza. The hospital had 20 doctors, nurses and technicians, a lab, an X-ray device and a pharmacy. Among the doctors were a pediatrician, an ophthalmologist and a gynecologist. The hospital was also equipped for childbirth.
The IDF had urged civilians in northern Gaza to flee the area before intensifying the operation against the terror regime in Gaza. Hamas, however, had urged them to remain in the area and has been using the local population as human shields when firing missiles at Israeli civilians.
There was opposition on the Palestinian side to injured civilians receiving treatment in Israel thus the hospital stayed almost empty.
The decision to set up the hospital was made by the Israeli government following the recommendation of the coordinator of government activities in the Palestinian territories General Yoav Mordechai, and approved by the IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz.