Gaza- Hassan Al ‘Attal, a PRCS paramedic who had come on a rescue mission to Zimmo Turnabout area in Northern Gaza, became himself a victim after Israeli soldiers shot at him during the 3-hour ceasefire announced around noon on Wednesday.
Hassan, who has worked as a paramedic for the past 10 years, was injured and fell to the ground, covered in blood, while he was trying to retrieve the body of a Palestinian martyr. He had received a call earlier informing him that a martyr had fell at 1.30 p.m. that same day, i.e. during the ceasefire.
Hassan, who is being treated at PRCS Al Quds Hospital in Gaza, describes what happened as follows: “I was dispatched to Zimmo Turnaround area in the Northern Gaza Strip after the EMS Centre received a call informing us of casualties in the area. When the ambulance could not move any further, I took a stretcher and continued on foot, accompanied by a volunteer, towards the area where a body lay and could not be retrieved because of the heavy shooting. We put the body on the stretcher and started walking back towards the ambulance. A few seconds later, we came under heavy fire. I was shot in the left thigh, and had to be helped by the volunteer until we reached the ambulance”.
The ambulance transported Hassan to Al Awda Hospital from which he was referred to PRCS Al Quds Hospital in Gaza City for further treatment.
According to Hassan Al ‘Attal, he had not expected to be targeted given his uniform which clearly indicates that he is a member of a medical crew, and also because the Occupation Authorities had announced a ceasefire at that time. He urged for pressure to be exerted on Israel to make it respect the emblem of medical crews.
Hassan’s case resembles that of PRCS ambulance driver Marwan Hammouda, who was shot in the left foot when the ambulance he was driving came under fire in Jabalya in the Northern Gaza Strip.
Marwan describes what happened as follows: “After coordinating with the ICRC, I was dispatched to transport seriously wounded Palestinians from Al Shifa’a Hospital to the Rafah Border Crossing. As I was driving back along the Coast Road, the ambulance was held for 2 hours by soldiers. When I was finally allowed to leave, I drove towards Jabalya where the ambulance came under heavy and direct fire. I was shot in the foot and was taken to hospital for treatment”.
Both Hassan Al ‘Attal and Marwan Hammouda insist on resuming their humanitarian duties once they have recuperated from their shots. They are just another example of the tens of incidents where International Laws have been violated and medical crews targeted. More than 12 paramedics, doctors and volunteers have fallen, and many others have been wounded, over the past 11 days of the aggressions against the Gaza Strip.
HQ Location: PRCS
