PHA-Exchange> Stop All Attacks on Palestine Medical Relief Staff and Services

[claudio]

From: "Palestine Monitor" <palmon at hdip.org>
> URGENT ALERT
> Stop All Attacks on Palestine Medical Relief Staff and Services
> Saturday 14th June, 2003
>
> Following on from yesterdays attack on the village of Deir Ghassaneh,
where
> the Israeli occupying army surrounded and entered the village, declared a
> curfew, buried alive villagers, and shot and arrested other villagers, we
> now have an update to the attacks.
>
> The Israeli occupying army stopped a Palestine Medical Relief Ambulance at
> gunpoint. The soldiers got into the ambulance and forced the team at
> gunpoint, to drive around the village. The soldiers used the cover of the
> ambulance to try and arrest people. After 20 minutes, the ambulance team
> refused to carry on and announced that they would rather be shot, than be
> forced to help the soldiers arrest the villagers. The soldiers threatened
> them by saying that if the ambulance team revealed that the soldiers were
in
> the ambulance, then they would shoot them. The soldiers also confiscated
the
> Identification Cards of the ambulance team. Since yesterday, the ambulance
> team have not been given their ID's back, despite numerous appeals being
> made to the army by Israeli Physicians for Human Rights. Without their
ID's
> the team are unable to function.
>
> As part of the punishment, the Israeli occupying army arrested Palestine
> Medical Relief Doctor,
> Dr Nadim Barghouthi and Mr Yunis Dahoud, Deputy Mayor of the village. Both
> were arrested whilst in their homes. As of yet, we have not been told
where
> they are being detained.
>
> The Israeli occupying army also blew open the door of the Palestine
Medical
> Relief Clinic in Deir Ghassaneh. Besides exploding the door, they
destroyed
> one of the walls, and created a lot of destruction in the clinic.
>
> Palestine Medical Relief calls on all humanitarian, human rights and
health
> organizations to condemn these deplorable actions which violate the
> principals of medical neutrality. Please demand the release of Dr Nadim
> Barghouthi and Mr Yunis Dahoud, demand the return of the ID's to the
> ambulance team, and compensate the Palestine Medical Relief Clinic for all
> the damage caused.
>
> Palestine Medical Relief severely condemns these attacks, as they
constitute
> a gross violation of International Law. This is a clear provocation by the
> Israeli occupying army who have already attacked Palestine Medical Relief
> Clinics in Nablus, Ramallah, Gaza and Jenin. We urge you to protest to the
> following:
>
> Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister
> Office of the Prime Minister
> 3 Kaplan Street, P O Box 187
> Jerusalem 91919, Israel
> Fax: +972 2 6705475   E-mail: rohm at pmo.gov.il
>
> Elyakim Rubinstein
> Attorney-General/Legal Advisor to the Government
> Ministry of Justice
> 9 Salah al-Din Street
> Jerusalem 91010, Israel
> Fax: +972 2 6285438
>
> Shaul Mofaz - Minister of Defense
> Kaplan St.
> Hakirya Tel-Aviv 61909
> Tel: 972-3-5692010  Fax: 972-3-6916940
>
> Mr Sergio de Mello - UN High Commissioner on Human Rights
> OHCHR-UNOG
> 8-14 Avenue de la Paris
> 1211 Geneva 10
> Switzerland
> webadmin.hchr at un.org
>