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The Palestine Red Crescent Society Weekly Press Release for the period 8-14 January 2005



An elderly Palestinian woman relative of 13-year old boy, cries at his home prior to his funeral in Gaza. (AFP photo)

During this reporting period, the Israeli Army has continued to violate International Humanitarian Law and Fundamental Human Rights, by restricting freedom of movement to Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulances and its medical teams. Delays of access and arbitrary searches had a negative impact on the sick and wounded in Al Ezariyeh, Qalqiliya and Nablus.

The following table lists incidents of delay of access during this reporting period.

In addition to the above mentioned, on 12/01/2005, at 23:30PM, an Israeli Army patrol raided the Palestine Red Crescent Society's Emergency Medical Station (EMS) in Beit Ummar, near the West Bank city of Hebron. The soldiers conducted a search campaign inside and outside the station. The search campaign lasted for nearly an hour, during which Israeli soldiers impeded the work of the crew by preventing them responding to emergency calls. 

During this reporting period, a total of 14 deaths and 14 injuries were reported in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 

These practices constitute a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the First Additional Protocol of the Geneva conventions, which are legally applied to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In particular, they violate articles 20 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which guarantees the protection and respect of persons who engage in the search for, removal and transport of and caring for wounded and sick civilians, and article 63 which stresses that " Subject to temporary and exceptional measures imposed for urgent reasons of security by the Occupied Power, recognized National red cross and red crescent societies shall be able to pursue their activities in accordance with Red Cross principles, as defined by the international Red Cross Conferences.". In addition to articles 12 and 15 of the First Additional Protocol of the Geneva conventions which guarantees that " Medical units shall be respected and protected at all times and shall not be the object of attack and shall have access to any place where their services are essential" and article 16 which stresses that, "Under no circumstances shall any person be punished for carrying out medical activities compatible with medical ethics, regardless of the person benefiting there from.", in addition to article 21, which stresses that," Medical vehicles shall be respected and protected in the same way as mobile medical units under the Conventions and this Protocol."


Israelis and Palestinians killed since the beginning of the second Intifada (September 29, 2000)