ISM Report: Medical Workers Under Attack. 16 Shot in Balata Refugee Camp

4 November 2003
Balata, NABLUS

MEDICAL WORKERS UNDER ATTACK - 16 Shot in Balata Refugee Camp

From early morning until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday Balata refugee cap was
held
under seige by the Israeli Occupation Forces. Jeeps and hummers
stationed at the entrances to the camps shot rubber bullets, tear
gas and
live
ammunition at groups of children in the streets. A mosque filled
with
men, women and children at prayer was gassed with a particularly
strong
version of tear gas, causing many people to require hospitalization.
Throughout the day 16 people were shot, including one international
activist and three medical volunteers.

At approximately 3:00 p.m. two bursts of live ammunition were shot
into
the streets. The shots came from an occupied house at the edge of
the
camp and a jeep stationed near the entrance. Four people were shot
initially. An ambulance and medical workers on foot approached the
scene to provide medical care to the civilians. Immediately three
medical
workers were shot. They were clearly visible in the middle of the
street as medical workers and were targetted directly.

After loading the seven injured into the ambulance the driver
attempted
to transport the injured to the hospital. The jeep and another
hummer
raced to the ambulance, blocking the driver from moving in any
direction.
Soldiers threatened the drivers, shooting and screaming through a
megaphone. Internationals stood between the jeeps and the ambulance
to
provide protection. For five minutes the ambulance attempted to
leave
the scene, each time blocked by soldiers.

The driver was eventually able to move down the street towards the
hospital. As it drove away a hummer chased it down the street. The
hummer attempted to run the ambulance off of the road, eventually
crashing into the side of the ambulance. After the crash the driver
stopped
the
ambulance and soldiers forcefully pulled the medical workers out of
the
ambulance and threw them up against a concrete wall. The soldiers
threatened the workers, pointing guns in their faces and confiscating
the Palestinian's I.D.'s.

Attacking medical workers is illegal by international law as clearly
stated in the 4th Geneva Convention. Three medical volunteers were
shot: a sixteen year-old woman was shot in the leg with live
ammunition,
causing a fracture in her ankle; a 33 year-old man was also shot in
the leg,
causing permanent damage to the muscles in his thigh; and a 17 year-
old
woman volunteer was shot through the hand. All are still in the
hospital at the time of writing.

For more information:
Kelly: tel. 972 66 387 331
Ziad: tel. 972 59 385 885

END

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