OPT: PRCS violation report 01 - 30 Apr 2007

In General

Israeli occupation forces practices (opening fire, verbal and physical abuse, detention, delay and denial of access) against the PRCS emergency medical teams and ambulances continued to violate the basic principles of the International Humanitarian Law.

During the month of April 2007, four PRCS emergency medical teams were verbally and physically abused in the Nablus, Jenin and Jerusalem areas, in Addition one attack on PRCS ambulance was reported. Fortunately, no injuries were reported but one of the vehicle's cabinet recieved damage due to an arbirtary seacrh near Ma'aleh Adomim settlement near Jerusalem. Moreover 33 delay and denial of access incidents were reported in the following areas: eight at the Za'ayim checkpoint near Jerusalem, thirteen at Al Alami Gate on the Jordanian Bridge, two at Qalandiya checkpoint, one at the Tunnels checkpoint, four in the Nablus area, one in the Jenin area, three in the Hebron area and one near Ma'aleh Adomim settlement in the Jerusalem area. These practices constitute a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the First Additional Protocol of the Geneva Conventions, which are legally applied to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which guarantees the protection and respect of persons who engage in the search for, removal and transport of and caring for wounded and sick civilians, and stresses that " Subject to temporary and exceptional measures imposed for urgent reasons of security by the Occupied Power, recognized National red cross and red crescent societies shall be able to pursue their activities in accordance with Red Cross principles, as defined by the international Red Cross Conferences...".