PHA-Exch> Israeli Airstrike in Gaza Destroys Medical Relief Head Office, Kills Baby

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: jihad mashal jihad at pmrs.ps

*Israeli Air strike in Gaza Destroys Medical Relief Head Office, Kills Baby*

 (PMRS is a long standing PHM affiliate)

Ramallah, 28/02/2008. An Israeli airstrike aimed at the ministry of interior
building in Gaza City also destroyed the nearby Palestinian Medical Relief
Society (PMRS) head office in Gaza and killed a 5-month-old baby in a
residential building in the same area.



The PMRS head office was housing the main PMRS clinic in the Gaza Strip, the
main pharmacy, an ambulance, a loan centre for handicapped people and all
the administrative offices. The ambulance, all the medicine and most of the
equipment have been destroyed. The building itself is badly damaged and
cannot be used again without extensive repairs.



The attack also hit a nearby residential building, killing Mohamad Nasser
Al-Borey, 5 months, in his family home.



Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi MP, president of PMRS, declared "the collective
punishment of Palestinians in Gaza has reached unbearable levels. This
latest attack destroyed a key part of the already badly hit Gazan health
system. Israel has lost all sense of humanity, and the silence of the
international community enables its murderous escalation against a people
imprisoned in a giant jail. These relentless violations of international law
must be put to an end. It is a war crime under the Geneva Convention to
target medical personnel. Regional organisations and individual States have
to take actions to protect the Palestinian people from Israel. This must
stop, now".



Dr. Abdel Hadi Abu Khussa, director of PMRS in the Gaza Strip, declared that
"the destruction of the main clinic, pharmacy, office and one ambulance are
a terrible blow to PMRS activities and will increase the suffering of the
people of Gaza. We are victims of Israeli collective punishment".





*Background: PMRS' Work in the Gaza Strip*



PMRS is one of the largest non-governmental health service providers in
Palestine, reaching 1.4 million Palestinians in over 490 cities, towns and
villages in 2007. This was achieved through the extensive physical and human
network built in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 29 years
since PMRS was established.



In Gaza, PMRS maintains four primary healthcare centres, two ambulances and
two mobile clinics as well as an effective program to help people with
disabilities, especially children. PMRS also runs an Individual Relief
program for patients in need and a centre providing physiotherapy and
assistive equipment to the disabled.



In response to the complete Israeli blockade of Gaza since January 2008,
PMRS had declared a status of emergency and was stepping up its emergency
program to support the needs of the people of Gaza.
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