Settlers attack PRCS’ Emergency Medical Team

(Jerusalem, 18-3-2011): A group of settlers attacked an emergency medical team from the Palestine Red Crescent Society while carrying their humanitarian duty in a Palestinian village in Jerusalem. The settlers beat the team and abused them verbally, accusing them of racism and terrorism, then threw stones on the ambulances causing partial damages to it before they ran away.

PRCS affirms that such practices constitute flagrant violations of the International Humanitarian Law provisions, of the Geneva forth Convention of 1949, concerning protecting civilians in the times of war, which legally apply to the occupied Palestinian Territory; in addition to the 1st Additional Protocol to the four Geneva Conventions. They have guaranteed the respect and protection of the personnel engaged in the search for, removal and transporting of and caring for wounded and sick civilians and that National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies shall be able to pursue their activities subject to temporary and exceptional measures imposed for urgent reasons of security by the Occupying Power.

Article 12 and article 15 of the 1st Additional Protocol to the Geneva Convention (1977) stipulates that “Medical units shall be respected and protected at all times and shall not be the object of attack” and that “the Occupying Power shall afford civilian medical personnel in occupied territories every assistance to enable them to perform, to the best of their ability, their humanitarian functions”.