Israeli Soldiers attacked a PRCS medical team and the ambulance during its Humanitarian Mission

Monday, 18/05/2009, at 09:45 am: A PRCS ambulance was stopped by the Israeli soldiers at Za'ayim checkpoint, east of Jerusalem, while on humanitarian mission for transporting a sick case from Jericho to Augusta Victoria hospital in east Jerusalem.

The soldier took the patient's identity card and his permit for check. After few minutes another soldier approached the ambulance and ordered the driver to give him the identity cards of the crew. Without any provocation the soldier kicked the driver and verbally abused him.

After transporting the patient via back to back system using a PRCS ambulance from east Jerusalem station, the EMT asked the soldier to return the IDs back. The EMT's request made the soldier angry and he tore the EMT's ID.

The ambulance was arbitrary searched and some of the medical supplies were damaged. After 40 minutes had elapsed the soldiers allowed the ambulance to pass.

The PRCS express its concern to the increase of the violation cases of the Israeli soldiers against its medical personnel who provide pure humanitarian services to the wounded, sick and others in need with impartiality and neutrality. The PRCS sees these practices as a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention which is legally applied to the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The convention guarantees the protection and respect of persons who engage in the search for, removal and transport of and caring for wounded and sick civilians (article 20), and ensured the right of recognized National Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to pursue their activities in accordance with Red Cross principles, as defined by the international Red Cross Conferences despite of temporary and exceptional measures imposed for urgent reasons of security by the Occupied Power (article 63).

Moreover, PRCS affirms the Israeli authorities' responsibility, as an occupying power, toward the violation of its soldiers, and that it is legally obliged to open an investigation and to prosecute the perpetrators.