This is Not an Ordinary Tractor

On the main road in the town of Tammun, located southern of Tubas governorate in the northern West Bank, there is a tractor standing in the middle of the road, surrounded by earth barriers blocking side roads. This is part of the collective punishment imposed on the besieged residents of the town amid an ongoing Israeli military operation in the governorate, especially in Tammun and Al-Far’a refugee camp.

At first glance, the tractor may seem broken down, but then Israeli soldiers emerge from behind it, revealing that is being used as a barrier to block the road. This part of the ongoing siege which severely restricts movement of the Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) of Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) preventing them from operating freely.

The place that was once filled with the smell of Taboon bread in a purely rural town, where the voices of shepherds echoed through the valley from the top of the mountain tops has now been overtaken by the smell of gunpowder and the sounds of grenades. It has become a nightmare for EMTs preventing them even from sounding their sirens.

A Violation Every Day

At this checkpoint, EMTs are subjected to maltreatment- they are forced to strip publicly, unload everything from their vehicles, and are detained for hours before being allowed to transfer patients from one ambulance to another. A bulldozer crushes an emblem that should be respected and whose carriers should be protected under International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

EMT member Alan Ghannam stated that they are subjected to violations, despite responding only to medical cases with prior coordination. Even with this coordination in place, they are still held for no less than an hour to an hour and half at the entrance of Tammun, where they are neither allowed to advance nor return.

An Unfinished Birth

Ghannam recounts the most difficult moments he experienced when, on the morning of the third day of the Israeli military operation in Tammun, he set out to evacuate an emergency maternity case. However, the occupation forces detained them for no less than an hour and a half despite the severity of the case, and the woman nearly gave birth at the checkpoint.

He pointed out that the occupation soldiers forced him and his colleagues to take off their uniforms bearing the PRCS emblem, which is protected under IHL. The soldiers then restrained them against the wall, while a military bulldozer ran over the discarded uniforms on the street. Meanwhile, a patient remained lying in an ambulance on the opposite side waiting for the scene to end.

Deliberate Humiliation of EMTs

The head of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Tubas, Nidal Odeh, confirmed that the situation is extremely difficult, with significant challenges in coordinating the evacuation of patients suffering from chronic diseases. Additionally, many children in Tammun with high fevers are in urgent need of medication.

He added that the occupation forces imposed a condition prohibiting the movement of any ambulance without prior coordination, which itself takes two to three hours for approval, in order to transfer medical cases in Tammun and Al-Far’a refugee camp.

Moreover, Odeh emphasized that ambulances are completely prohibited from reaching these two areas. He explained that even if coordination is granted in Al-Far’a refugee camp, the infrastructure and roads are severely damaged so that it is nearly impossible for ambulances to navigate them and reach the patients and the injured for evacuation.

Emergency Calls

Odeh describes the situation as extremely difficult, with a high volume of emergency calls for medical cases in the area. Efforts are being made to coordinate their evacuation, emphasizing that EMTs face significant danger while operating in these two areas.

He stressed that this assault is far worse than previous ones, as the siege is fully enforced and there is no regard for international laws in dealing with ambulances. He particularly highlighted the violation of IHL, which guarantees the protection of EMTs and the facilitation of their humanitarian mission in all situations and crises, especially during wars and military operations.