Sir – Palestine’s chance of good healthcare has been diminished by nine decades’ colonialist betrayal and racist displacement, 65 years’ ethnic cleansing, 46 years’ military occupation and illegal settlement, 33 years’ illegal annexation of east Jerusalem and six wars, nearly all started or provoked by Zionists.

Defying the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel has illegally segmented the West Bank into dozens of ‘cells’ separated by Israeli fences and checkpoints and Israeli-only new roads.

Palestinians need to reach Israeli hospitals largely because (a) Israel has ruined Palestine’s capacity to develop its own healthcare and (b) Israeli forces protecting 560,000 Israeli settlers in 220 illegal West Bank settlements systematically impede Palestinian movement. Hugo Slim (Letters, September 19) is intelligent, wise, compassionate and measured. I regret that he repeats part of the Israeli myth that Palestinians are the authors of their own misfortune.

Yes, decades of Fatah corruption have diverted much medical and other aid away from its intended recipients. But health starts with adequate clean water, sanitation and nutrition. Israel has destroyed much of this in Gaza and the West Bank.

Since the 1950s, Israel has diverted much of the West Bank’s water supply to irrigate Israeli farms and fill Israeli swimming pools. Israel’s 2008–09 bombardment of Gaza destroyed its water and sewer systems. Israel still denies Gaza materials to either restore these systems or at least purify water for distribution in bottles and bowsers. Gaza cannot grow enough food for its 1.75 million residents, but Israeli army shootings of farmworkers have shut down what little agriculture Gaza has. The West Bank had enough land and water for its 2.1 million Palestinian residents, but Israeli settlers have taken much of both, repeatedly felled or burnt Palestinians’ olive trees and in one case even shot several Palestinian sheep. Medical Aid for Palestinians deserves all the support we can give.

Hugh Jaeger, Oxford