From: "Lawsociety" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
UPDATE: Ramallah still besieged, Further assaults on medical personnel
30 March 2002
Today, as Palestinians, living both inside Israel, the Occupied
Palestinian Territories and in exile, mark "Land Day", the 26th
anniversary of the killing six Palestinians, while protesting land
confiscations in the Galilee, Israeli forces continue their assault on
Ramallah and its residents.
At this moment hospitals in Ramallah report lack of blood and oxygin.
Ambulances are still prevented from evacuating the wounded. At 11 o'clock this morning, Israeli forces stopped two ambulances near the Arab Bank in the old city of Ramallah. One ambulance belongs to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and the other belongs to the Ministry of Health. The Israeli forces have arrested six crew members, including paramedics. At this moment, Israeli forces have used the ambulance to enter several parts of Ramallah. Additionally, Israeli forces have arrested medical staff of Khaled Hospital.
Last night, an ambulance belonging to the Union of Medical Relief
Committees (UPMRC), transporting two injured persons from Arafat's
compound, was stopped by the Israeli forces. Dr. Muhammad Iskafi and the
driver of the ambulance, Karim Samara, in addition to the two injured,
have been arrested. The Israeli soldiers removed the bandage from the
injured, handcuffed the four persons, and pushed them on the ground. They
had to stay there from 10 o'clock until 1 o'clock in the morning. The
ambulance has been confiscated by the Israeli army.
At 11.15 this morning, another ambulance, belonging to UPMRC has been
confiscated near the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority. The
driver and the injured have been arrested.
Mistreatment of the injured is a breach of international humanitarian law and absolutely prohibited. The obstruction of medical aid to the wounded is also prohibited. To guarantee the rights of the wounded to "protection and respect," the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits "interfer[ence] with the running" of vehicles transporting the injured to medical facilities. Such vehicles are to be accorded "protection and respect."
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have surrounded the Natche building. Twenty-
five persons were inside the building. Israeli forces threatened to blow up the building. After one hour, Israeli forces entered the building and arrested several persons, including Sakher Habash, member of Fatah Central Committee. A number of persons have been injured inside the building. The total number of detainees is still not known yet.
Additional, there have been reports that Israeli forces have entered more buildings and have conducted arrest campaigns.
This morning at 3.30 am, Shaher Abu Jarar, who was injured yesterday at
the besieged headquarters of the Palestinian Authority, has been
pronounced dead.
Until now, at least six Palestinians have been killed and at least 60
Palestinians have been injured. Since the morning, at al-Ria'ya Hospital, at least twelve injured have been admitted, including two in critical condition.
Last night, Israeli tanks entered and re-occupied Beit Jala.
LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment has repeatedly condemned Israel's obstruction of attempts by medical personnel and others to aid the injured. Pursuant to Article 16 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Israeli military has an obligation to accord to the wounded and sick "particular protection and respect." Violations of these well-established norms of international humanitarian law have occurred on a significant scale in the Occupied Territories.
Violations of the right of medical personnel and health facilities to be free from attack, commonly known as the right of medical neutrality, have been pervasis during the course of the past 18 months. Medical
personnel "of all categories" must be allowed to carry on their on their duties and should be "respected and protected" at all times. This
injunction prohibits attacks and reprisals against "doctors...medical
orderlies...nurses...ambulance drivers, etc." who are providing medical
treatment to the population.
The magnitude of medical human rights violations suggests that health
care has been targeted by the Israeli occupation. Violations of the
medical human rights by the Israeli military in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are international offenses for which the international community has legal standing to intervene. Such action is required to protect the fundamental rights of the wounded civilians and medical personnel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
____________________________
LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to preserving human rights through legal advocacy. LAW is affiliate to the
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the Federation Internationale des Ligues de Droits de l'Homme (FIDH) and the World Organisation Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).
LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment, PO Box 20873, Jerusalem, tel. +972-2-5833530, fax. +972-2- 5833317, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] , web: http://www.lawsociety.org
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