First aid crews need your support to save lives!

9th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwara Team | occupied Palestine

On October 30th 2015, Israeli forces shot at one of Fadi’s ambulances which resulted in the windows of one of the ambulances being broken alongside other damages.

 

Ambulances are crucial for first aid response in demonstrations and confrontations with the Israeli army
Ambulances are crucial for first aid response in demonstrations and confrontations with the Israeli forces.

 

As Israeli aggression towards Palestinians escalates during confrontations, medical aid such as that provided by Fadi’s Ambulance is essential for the safety and medical aid of the demonstrators.
With over 7,000 reported injuries by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the month of October alone ranging from live ammunition, teargas asphyxiation, injuries from plastic coated steel bullets (which are often referred to as rubber bullets, but can have been fatal in the past) and now the attacks on ambulances by Israeli forces; the work of medical crews on the field is more vital than ever!
Medics crews on the field carry an injured demonstrator despite soldiers' harassment
Medic crews on the field carry an injured demonstrator despite soldiers’ harassment

 

Fadi’s Ambulance consists of two ambulances and 60 members of on the field aid crews. 52 members are pure volunteers, which means they do not receive a salary for their assistance on the field.
Due to the severe damage suffered on the ambulances, both to the exterior and the interior of the vehicles, we are asking the global community to help in raising money in order to be able to continue our jobs in tending to the injured people on the ground. The money will go to the maintenance of the cars as well as covering the deficiencies in medical aid, including the basics such as, gauze, cotton, alcohol. Other needed materials include oxygen cylinders, and a machine to test the oxygen saturation levels in the blood. Fadi’s Ambulance covers confrontations in eight different places and others when needed. Our work is being hindered due to lack of supplies, and although we have dedicated volunteers who have also been attacked just like our ambulances, we too need your support to rebuild our equipment which is crucial for our work.
Medics on the field respond within seconds to demonstrators when they get injured
Medics respond within seconds to demonstrators when they get injured.

 

Medics are always present in demonstrations, proving their commitment to the resistance
First aid crews are always present in demonstrations and many of them work as volunteers.

 

 

Please consider making a donation through our online account or Paypal and write an e-mail to palreports@gmail.com , describing ‘Fadi’s Ambulance’ in the subject, detailing your name and donation amount in the message.
If you can’t donate, but wish to support the medic crews on the field, share this widely with all your friends, family and all the people who care!
Your support will help save peoples’ lives!

Violent military attack on peaceful demonstration in Tulkarm

4th November 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwarra team | Tulkarm, occupied Palestine

On November 3rd, two demonstrations took place in Tulkarm. In the city center, children gathered to protest against the incarceration of their loved ones in so-called “administrative detention”, where they’re held without trial for indefinite periods. The children were singing and chanting in the street. Their parents, teachers and friends gathered around along with internationals, waving Palestinian flags and showing their support.

Children demonstrating in city center of Tulkarm
Children demonstrating against detentions in the city center of Tulkarm

 

About an hour later, around 30 people went outside the city center to protest against the apartheid wall and the illegal Israeli occupation. Protesters and international human rights observers marched together towards the wall, clapping hands and singing slogans. They arrived close to the two high fences and the gate, which is part of the apartheid wall in the area of Tulkarm.

A military jeep from Israeli forces was waiting on the other side of the wall when the demonstration arrived. Three soldiers went out, shooting live ammunition in the air and shouting at the protesters to leave. Chanting and clapping continued among the demonstrators. The Israeli forces called for reinforcement and another military truck arrived. Nine soldiers gathered by the fence and started to shoot plastic-coated steel bullets into the group of demonstrators. A Palestinian woman was shot in her knee, and a man leading the chant was shot in his legs twice. Both were taken to hospital and another person took over the megaphone and the lead of the chanting. At least two other people were also hurt by bullets at the time.

Protesters in Tulkarm against the apartheid wall
Protesters in Tulkarm against the apartheid wall

The Israeli forces continued their repression by throwing teargas and stun grenades over the fence onto the Palestinian land. After making several attacks, they locked up the gate and went through the wall, up to the protesters. Soldiers started shoving and shouting at people, particularly attacking the person with the megaphone, pushing him violently. They shouted at people to move back and started once again to throw teargas and stun grenades towards the demonstrators.

Despite the military violence, the demonstration went on peacefully all the way through.

Hebron rages against ethnic cleansing of its youth at funeral for five young martyrs

31st October 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Today, tens of thousands of mourners gathered for the funerals of five Palestinian youth murdered by Israeli forces in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). After the funeral, Israeli forces violently attacked mourners demonstrating at Bab al-Zawweya, injuring dozens.

Funeral procession on their way to the cemetry
Funeral procession on their way to the cemetry

Tens of thousands of mourners gathered for the midday prayer at the Husseini mosque, where the bodies of the five teenagers arrived yesterday night, after Israeli forces withheld them from their families for weeks. After the prayer, mourners marched the bodies to the martyr’s cemetry in al-Khalil, where Palestinians are laid to their last rest after being killed by Israeli forces or settlers from the illegal Israeli settlements.

When the funeral procession passed close to Bab al-Zawwiyah, Israeli forces from a nearby checkpoint fired tear gas and stun grenades, unprovoked, at the mourners who were solemnly walking towards the cemetery. Once at the cemetery, mourners flooded in to say their last goodbyes.

Mourners solemly walking to the cemetry
Mourners solemly walking to the cemetry

The five youth buried this day are Bayan al-Oseilly (16) and Tarek al-Natsheh (22) killed on October 18th; Bashar (15) and Hussam (17) al-Jabari murdered on October 20th; and Dania Arsheid (17) executed by Israeli forces on October 25th. All of them have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers under the pretext of knife-attacks in less than two weeks. Videos and eye-witness statements strongly refute these claims.

Electronic billboard with pictures of the killed teens.
Electronic billboard with pictures of the killed teens.

The Israeli government according to a new law is keeping bodies of Palestinians they claim attempted to harm Israeli forces or settlers, withholding the last remains from their families thus depriving them of their right to mourn their deaths according to their own culture. The bodies returned today are only five of the total 19 Palestinian youth killed in the last two weeks since October 17th only in al-Khalil. A staggering number of Palestinians have been killed all over the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Keeping the bodies of these youths and young adults from their families deprives them of their right to bury their loved ones according to their religious rites and mourn them according to their culture.

After the funeral, a demonstration marched to Bab al-Zawwiyah protesting the continous murder of Palestinian youths by Israeli forces and the practice of denying the return of the bodies to the families. Family, friends and mourners walking back home from the funeral were forced to pass through areas tear-gassed by Israeli forces, leaving children, women and adults running away from the clouds of tear gas, clinging to alcohol-pads that were handed out in dozens by Red Crescent ambulances to prevent fainting from the highly toxic gas.

Streets filled with tear gas
Streets filled with tear gas

Israeli forces later showered demonstrators with hundreds of tear gas canisters, and attacked them with stun grenades, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition. 23 persons were injured with live ammunition and had to be taken to hospital for treatment, 3 injured with rubber-coated-steel bullets had to be treated in hospital while dozens more were treated at the scene. One person was injured with a tear gas canister in the chest and had to be rushed to hospital. Dozens suffering from tear gas inhalation were also taken to hospital for treatment while many dozens more were treated at the scene by medics.

One of the many persons suffering from exhessive tear gas inhalation treated by a medic
One of the many persons suffering from excessive tear gas inhalation treated by a medic

This comes just as Israeli forces declared two major Palestinian neighbourhoods a closed military zone after ‘registering‘ all the families living there, preventing anyone that is not considered a ‘resident’ by the Israeli forces from entering this area. This further impedes the already tightly-restricted daily lives of Palestinians, completely denying them any freedom of movement. Even passing a distance of only 200 meters to buy essential groceries in a shop now closed most of the time due to the tight restrictions, Palestinians are detained and body-searched at gunpoint twice – all while settlers going to the nearby illegal settlement are walking around the streets freely without being bothered by the Israeli forces at all. This is apartheid.

Images from Gaza: Another brutal Friday

31st October 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza team | Gaza Strip, occupied Palestine

Images from clashes yesterday, October 30th in Nahel Oz (Shijaia), Occupied Gaza Strip. All photos credited to ISM, Gaza.

By the end of clashes yesterday, Minister of Health Dr. Qadra announced 46 people had been injured, including paramedics. Israeli forces met the demonstrators – who were armed only with stones – with teargas and live ammunition. A photographer is in critical condition having been shot in the chest and in further contravention of international law, an ambulance was shot at in Khan Younis, wounding a paramedic.

Confrontations between Israeli Forces and youth were recorded throughout the Gaza Strip, including in Bureij, Beit Hanoun and Khan Younis. Since October 9th, 17 people have been killed in Gaza and 831 wounded as the brutality of Israeli forces throughtout the occupied territories continues to escalate.

 

IMG_8854 IMG_8859 IMG_8864 IMG_8880 IMG_8885 IMG_8890 IMG_8893 IMG_8896 IMG_8916 IMG_8924 IMG_8931 IMG_8939 IMG_8949 IMG_8967

Demonstration in Beit El violently attacked by Israeli forces

31st October 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Ramallah, Occupied Palestine

The recent escalation of force used in the occupied Palestinian Territories was clear yesterday, Friday 30th October,  when clashes broke out at Beit El near Ramallah. The demonstration was met with extreme violence by the Israeli occupation forces, leaving 15 people injured by live ammunition, 8 people injured by rubber-coated steel bullets, and 4 medics injured by pepper spray. The use of lethal weaponry against civilians at demonstrations, in situations where the Israeli forces are not in immediate mortal danger, reveals the reality of what Benjamin Netanyahu, on 16th September, described as, “the war on stone-throwers”.

Video footage from the demonstration shows an Israeli military jeep speeding towards a group of young Palestinians and striking one of them. A soldier then hit the injured youth with his gun and stamps on his head. Medics attempted to give aid to the youth but were prevented from doing so and assaulted by Israeli soldiers. Journalists (clearly marked as ‘Press’) trying to film the incident were also harassed.

 

Medics assaulted by Israeli forces while attempting to administer aid (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Medics assaulted by Israeli forces while attempting to administer aid (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Medic injured by teargas inhalation after being targeted by Israeli Forces (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Medic injured by teargas inhalation after being targeted by Israeli Forces (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Medics attempting to administer aid amid excessive teargas (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Medics attempting to administer aid amid excessive teargas (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Medic suffering from teargas inhalation (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Medic suffering from teargas inhalation (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Journalists harassed by Israeli Forces (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Journalists harassed by Israeli Forces (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Demonstrator at Beit El, "the war on stone-throwers" (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Demonstrator at Beit El, “the war on stone-throwers” (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
(Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
(Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Ambulances targeted with teargas (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Ambulances targeted with teargas (Photo credit: Mohannad Darabee, ISM)
Resident suffering from teargas inhalation
Resident suffering from teargas inhalation
Extreme use of tear gas
Extreme use of tear gas

ews

 

(ISM, Mohannad Darabee)