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UHCC’s Press
Release on
The Aggressive
Campaign on the Palestinian Communities
Nablus City & its camps particularly Balata Refugee Camp are under
severe Israeli raid; Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) are present in
all parts of the city; & since their arrival UHCC’s Medical teams
has spread in those areas to offer medical aid to injured & wounded.
Yesterday morning (Friday 26/12/2003) at Rafidia neighborhood a
youngster got a rubber bullet in his feet, one of our paramedics was
at the scene of event; “Rami Shamlawi” approached the youngster to
aid him; but he was surprised to see an Israeli patrol full of
soldiers (five including the driver) come near him, stepped out of
the vehicle, & started beaten him up with their guns’ ends, hands, &
feet allover his body, Rami was admitted to Rafidia Hospital for
treatment.
At 4:00 pm on the same day, IOF
present at Balata Refugee Camp forced the paramedics to leave the
camp; then took them to Al-Maslakh area & put them into detention.
They were 9 volunteers from UHCC & 5 from the Palestinian Red
Crescent. The Israeli soldiers aggressed the paramedics, they called
them names; some were beaten up; & they were forced to sit on the
ground although it was freezing. We made many contacts with
institutions concerned including the Red Cross, but our efforts were
fruitless, as the Israeli soldiers refused to set them free. At 9:00
pm medical teams in ambulances headed to the area, where the
paramedics were held, to talk to the soldiers & ask them to release
the paramedics immediately; although we were threatened by IOF, but
we insisted on the immediate release of the 14 volunteers. At that
time one of the arrested fellows, who were not a paramedic, came out
& he was suffering from severe chill; he was carried to Al-Watani
Hospital for treatment. The paramedics suffering ended at
12:00 pm, as IOF released them
after keeping them for more than 8 hours.
Assaulting & aggressing medical teams & ambulances is a daily scene
by IOF throughout the
Palestinian
Territories. Israelis do not pay attention to any international
humanitarian laws particularly Geneva Fourth Accord. The Israelis
behaviors are deliberate to detain medical & humanitarian crews from
doing their duties; those brutal deeds have led to the death of many
injured, as many times Israelis did not allow medical teams to reach
them.
We hold the Israeli government responsible for
these lawless actions & we call upon international, humanitarian, &
law institutions to condemn those tyrannical procedures. At the same
time we are keen & determined to do our natural right in offering
medical & humanitarian aid to people everywhere.
Union of Health
Care Committees (UHCC)
Al-Moutanabi St. Fraitkh Bldg.
Nablus-Palestine
Tele-fax: 00972 9 2372432, 2336668.
uhcc@palnet.com.
www.uhcc-pal.org
P.O. Box: 796, Nablus, West Bank.
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