As television stations cover the situation in Palestine, the plight of the Palestinian people became real for many people in the past weeks. However, for the Palestinians it has been their reality for 54 years. The International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in fact, view their situation as unprecedented. 

According to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), from September 2000 to 2002, 116 PRCS medical technicians have been attacked. Eight nurses including one German were killed. The Union of Palestine Medical Relief has also seen some casualties with 70 of its staff members having been attacked and ten PRCS ambulances having been destroyed – and the other 80% damaged. There have also been 221 incidences of Israel preventing PRCS access to the injured (Palestine, p.1, 2).

On the March 29, an emergency technician was killed in Gaza while attempting to save two civilians (Kriner, p.1). Since then two others have been killed and eight injured. The Head of PRCS’s emergency unit, Dr. Khalil Sulieman, was fired at in his ambulance in Jenin whilst one of his paramedics, Ibrahim Assad, died in Tulkarem (Amin, p.1). 

Whosoever shields a Muslim, Allah will shield him in this world and the next…" said Rasulullah s.a.w (Hadith #36 an-Nawawis).  

Last year, the Danish, German and American Red Cross and the UAE Red Crescent donated tents, blankets, hygiene kits and other supplies. Every month this year, the Kuwait Red Crescent Society has donated 500 hygiene kits to Gaza families whose homes were destroyed (ICRC#1 p.2). 

Despite such international support and efforts, Israel continues to undermine PRCS services – and continues to kill their employees. In Maha Dibeit, a 39-year-old invalid woman choked as her mother fed her. Her family tried to save her by calling the PRCS ambulance, but it was prevented by Israeli forces from reaching her. She died as a result.

Then soldiers also prevented the ambulance from removing her body. Her 69-year old father was too terrified to try to remove her and too afraid to leave the house so her dead body remained in the house (JMCC #2, p1, 2).

Israel has systematically denied any aid and access to wounded and dying Palestinians. In the apartment building, al-Kurdi, in Ramallah, soldiers shot a man, Imad Farrajin, in the stomach and then shot at his brother for trying to help him. Imad called the emergency unit for an ambulance, but for one hour the ambulance crew were prevented from gaining access. Meanwhile, the soldiers stole 100 shekels from the residents (Farrajin, p.1). 

PRCS ambulances have been delivering food parcels and essential medicines to orphanages, hospitals and families in Ramallah and Bethlehem as well as transporting technicians to repair damaged water and electricity networks in Ramallah and Tulkarem. However, support from the ICRC has exposed them to danger. Both ICRC and PRCS have been threatened at gunpoint, received warning shots aimed at vehicles in Nablus and Ramallah and 2 ICRC vehicles were damaged by Israeli tanks in Tulkarem. ICRC premises were broken into in Tulkarem (ICRC#3, p.1).  

In addition to shooting at staff and vehicles the Israelis have also been destroying the hospitals. The French hospital in Bethlehem and the Ramallah General Hospital were shelled. The al-Hussein, Beit Jala, al-Dibs, and the al-‘Alia of Hebron hospitals have repeatedly subjected to live ammunition; as have the al-Yamana hospital in Bethlehem and the PRCS maternity hospital in Ramallah. Israeli settlers also attacked the Augusta Victoria hospital in Jerusalem, shooting the security officer (Palestine, p.2). 

In a plea to allow humanitarian aid to continue, the ICRC requested in a press release that, "...those employing armed forces to respect international humanitarian law, and in particular the fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War – 1949 and the rules governing the conduct of hostilities. They must be allowed to spare civilians and their property, to treat detainees humanely at all times, to ensure that the wounded and sick have access to adequate medical facilities, medical staff and means of transport unhampered" (ICRC #2, p.1). However, this has not happened. The price of the IFRC and Red Crescent Societies campaign to release the President of PRCS, Mr. Younis al-Khatib, and eight members of his staff was suspension of the PRCS ambulance service in Ramallah (IFRC # 1, p.1).  

Instead of relief, the PRCS have faced increasing challenges as the conflict spreads into the remote areas. Now they don’t have enough vehicles to handle the regular emergencies in addition to the current casualties (Kriner, p.1). Additionally, the PRCS responds to settlers and have attended to Israeli forces injured in Palestine controlled areas, army cites and in hospitals (PRCS #2, p.1). Regardless, much of the PRCS fleet has been burned or damaged and the rest have cracked windshields, broken mirrors and are in desperate need of repair (Kriner, p.1). With permission from the Israeli army, PRCS workers now wear bulletproof vests. On the verge of closure, they have appealed to the international community for ambulances, money for fuel and medical supplies.

The Norwegian Red Cross, via the Israeli counterpart of PRCS –Magen David Adom, MDA, donated eight ambulances that were delayed by politically engineered obstacles at customs (Kriner, p.1, 2). The American Red Cross supplied x-ray film, surgical equipment, monitors, emergency health kits and a generator for emergencies and ambulances out-fitted with specialized equipment to both PRCS and the Jordan Red Crescent in addition to technical support to the MDA. The Jordan Red Crescent helped to transport injured Palestinians to Jordanian hospitals for specialized treatment (Kriner, p.2). However, the anxiety levels of those patients who are being ferried away from their remaining relatives greatly increases, negatively affecting their recovery. 

Outside help has provided much more than needed supplies, however. With international assistance has also come assistance from international activists. However, the attack on medical services hasn’t lessened with the presence of international activists and pacifists. Their welcomed presence has helped in the removal of dead bodies and the transport and delivery of essential medical supplies and food. Those with medical experience assist the Palestine Medical Relief in field hospitals. If not deported, they, like PRCS and IFRC members, have had to lie facedown in the mud as each ambulance undergoes a stop and search. The ICRC is now confined to the West Bank and the PRCS announced a stop to all services on April 4 (IAP, p.1) though a skeleton service still seems operational. 

This situation where humanitarian aid is not even allowed to function has placed Palestinians into a "chronic state of helplessness" said Dr. Eyad el-Sarraj. As director of the Gaza Community Mental Health, she sees the 35-year old Israeli occupation of the West Bank, the Oslo Agreement and the mockery of a peace process disillusion the Palestinians further (al-Sarraj, p.1-3). Many also feel betrayed by the Muslim and Arab world.  

Head of the Ramallah water company, Abdul Karim Assad, in trying to deal with the water-crisis, gained Israeli authority permission twice to repair pumps destroyed by tanks in the invasion. The first time workers were harassed and the second time the workers were taken and not seen again. Of the 230,000 Palestinians in Ramallah, 150,000 have no water at all; and neither do many of the hospitals (JMCC #2, p.1). Izz el-Deen as-Sharif, the mayor of Tulkarem said, "…the Israelis have broken the water pipes, and destroyed the electrical generators that pump the water. There is no water and no milk for the children. The people who try to get to the broken water pipes that are spraying water, the soldiers shoot at them" (JMCC #2, p.1).  

On April 4, at 3.15 p.m., the Bethlehem churches rang bells and the mosques sounded-out simultaneously in protest against the wide-scale destruction (IAP, p.3). Maybe for this reason, killing the bell-ringer of the Bethlehem Nativity Church, Samir Salman, was a symbolic act of revenge. 

When the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights Mary Robinson spoke with the father of Irish woman Gaoimle Butterly, he informed her that, "…seeing how bad the situation was she [his daughter] decided to remain inside [Arafat’s headquarters] and has been joined by about 30 more volunteers".

"We are doing what the U.N. should be doing," she told her father.

It is not on the part of Mary Robinson that the U.N. didn’t step in as she requested, but because of the U.S. veto. It will continue until Israel’s blood lust is satiated or until the U.N. takes control (Capderila, p.1-3).  

• Adnan, Yahya. ‘Palestine under Siege" Eyewitness. 04/08/02. http://www.palestinemonitor.org/ eyewitness/a_ personal_perspective_on_what_I.htm 

• AMIN.org. "Israeli Troops Close al-Quds Education T.V Station & Occupy Building." Arabic Media Internet Network. 04/08/02. http://amin.org/eng/uncat/2002/apr/apr02.html 

• Carliez, Sebastian. "Tragic Week for the Palestinian Red Crescent." IFRC.org. 04/09/02. http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/02/031301 

• Capderila, Gustavo. "US Rejects Proposals, Report from UN’s Robinson." OneWorld.net. 04/08/02.http://story.news.yahoo. com?news?tmpl=story&u =oneworld/2002 0403/wl oneworld/1032 1017836546 

• el-Sarraj, Eyad. "Wounds & Madness: Why we’ve Become Suicide Bombers." Arab Media Internet Network. 04/08/02. http://amin.org/eng/eyad_elsarry/2002/apr02.html 

• Farrajin, Imad. "Palestine under Siege" Palestine Monitor. 04/08/02. http://www.palestinemontor.org /eyewitness/imad_ farrajin_april_1.html 

• ICRC.org #1. "Middle East: A Solemn Appeal by the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies." 04/02/02. http://www.icrc.org/icrceng.nsf/Index/ 65590E76AD8F/C1256B&F0057CFD8?Open Document 

• ICRC #2. "Israel & the Occupied/Autonomous Territories: Alarming Situation in the West Bank." News. 04/08/02. http://www.icrc.org/icrceng.nsf/Index 0C210ADE3ADE0C12561392003758134 ?OpenDocument 

• ICRC.org #3. "Israeli & the Occupied/Autonomous Territories: ICRC Restricts its Movements to the West Bank". 04/05/02. 1. 04/08/02. http://www.icrc.org/icrceng.nsf/Index/437EE7 BB00589FE0C1256B92004CD82F?OpenDocument 

• IFRC.org #1. "Appeal for Access to Sick & Injured in Palestine". 04/03/02. 1.News. 04/08/02. http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/02/040302 

• IAP. "Palestine Red Crescent Announces Cessation of all It’s Operations". 04/04/02. 21. News. Islamic Association for Palestine. 04/08/02. http://jerusalem.indymedia.org/ news/2002/04/5026.php 

• JMCC.org. #1. "Israeli Raid Homes, Steal Belongings". 3. News. Jerusalem & Media Communications Center. 04/08/02. http://www.jmcc.org/new/02/apr/israel/steal.htm 

• JMCC.org. #2. "Medical Teams are Targeted, Civilian Population Under Attack". 04/04/02. 2. News. 04/08/02. http://www.jmcc.org/new/02/ap/medical.htm 

• Kriner, Stephanie. "MDA, Palestine Red Crescent Help Victims of Middle East Conflict".

• PRCS. "EMS Responds to Israeli Injured." Home. 04/10/02. http://www.palestinercs.org/ems_respnds_to _israeli_injured.htm 

• Palestine Monitor.org. "Palestine Fact Sheets." Fact Sheets. 04/09/02. http://www.paelstinemonitor.org/ factsheet/Palestinian_intifada_fact_sheet.htm 

NOTE:

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Account No: 240-C0129986.4 (USD)

Account No: 240-C0129986.5 (EUR) 

Or by Post Office Account (Switzerland)

International Committee of the Red Cross

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CH – 1202 Geneva 

Account No: 12-5527-6