Beit Hanina, Palestine 18 April 2002
Curfews, arbitrary arrests, destruction, and unprovoked Israeli aggression all continue throughout Palestinian towns and cities across the West Bank. But behind all this much reported intensive violence and aggression, Israeli troops maintain their regular attacks against Palestinians. This morning in Gaza Dr. Mu’aweyia Hassanien, the head of the emergency unit at Shifa hospital said, “Ahmad Omar Abu Salimah, 16 years old from Beit Laqiya died from his injuries sustained yesterday. Ahmad had been hit, and seriously injured, by shrapnel from an Israeli tank shell, fired at his neighbourhood from the settlement of Dubayet.”
A Palestinian from Qur’a refugee camp was killed when Israeli troops opened fire on his car, near the entrance of the camp. Hassan Raf-Raf, aged 33, died instantly.
Four-year-old Ahmed Tayseer Yusef La‚abey was injured when glass flew into his face and eyes, as Israeli soldiers shot out the windows of his home in Bala’a village during last nights invasion and reoccupation. Soldiers then prevented the ambulance from reaching him — as has been the case in most towns and cities troops have entered.
An Israeli sniper today shot Tha’er Muhammad Munasra, one of the Palestinians in the Church of the nativity. Seriously injured in the leg, Israeli troops prevented an ambulance form reaching him.
Also in Bethlehem Israeli soldiers attacked a UPMRC ambulance that was transferring a patient from Beit Jala hospital to her home. The ambulance staff said the soldiers forced them out of the ambulance, then beat them and spat on them. Again, this is an act that has repeatedly taken place across the West Bank as medical staff are prevented from carrying out their duties.
