PRCS’ Operations Rooms: Beehives Working Around the Clock

By: Ali Obeidat

PRCS’ Operations Rooms (ORs) work non-stop, dispatching medical and relief teams as well as documenting Israeli attacks and Palestinian casualties in the oPt.

 The Society runs two central ORs at its headquarters in Al-Bireh and Gaza City, in addition to two other ORs at its premises in Nablus and Hebron. Manned by more than 50 volunteers, Operations Rooms, mainly the central OR in Al-Bireh, provide the media as well as local and international bodies with regular information on events in the oPt, such as statistics regarding the number of victims (wounded or killed) attended to by PRCS, and violations committed against medical teams.

ORs closely monitor unfolding events throughout Palestine, issuing daily and weekly reports on violations committed against PRCS’ ambulances, teams and facilities in the oPt, together with accurate statistics on casualties. The central OR provides PRCS’ Media and Dissemination Department with updated statistics on victims attended to by the Society throughout Palestine, thus allowing the Department to disseminate that information to local and international media.

PRCS had activated its ORs at the beginning of October 2015 in response to developments on the ground. It also declared a level 3 state of emergency, and holds regular meetings to assess the situation and assign tasks.

Palestinian media rely on and are full of praise for the frequently updated reports issued by PRCS’ Operations Rooms and the statements made by the Society’s spokesperson.

According to Jihad Barakat, a reporter at 'Palestine Today’ satellite channel, “the Society’s Operations Room has been the quickest source of information for journalists since the beginning of the current situation. For me personally, it was my first source of information on confrontations and casualties, and I am in constant contact with colleagues at the OR”.

He lauded efforts made by OR staff, thanking them for their regular updates and for communicating through social media, especially Facebook and WhatsApp, as well as for providing journalists with information in a timely manner.

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