PR (RAFAH, PALESTINE): Israeli troops fire on Palestinian medical team 8-12-04

URGENT ALERT
Rafah: Israeli occupation forces attack PMRS emergency response staff
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/new_web/
israeli_occupation_forces_attack_PMRS.htm

Thursday 12th August 2004
PMRS condemns Tuesday's attack against PMRS ambulance staff whilst theydistributed first aid kits to residents of Rafah.Thanks to the generous support provided by the German Foreign Office andin cooperation with Medico International, in response to an emergencyappeal released by PMRS following the Israeli demolition of 200 homes inRafah in May 2004, PMRS has begun to distribute first aid kits to thehomeless residents of Rafah. Whilst ambulance staff, including 5 doctors, 2 nurses and the driver,distributed the first aid kits in the Tal al Sultan neighborhood,Israeli forces started firing at the ambulance.

According to the staff,firing came from the "Rafih Yam" settlements towers. They at firstthought that it was random shooting however; when some bullets were only50 cm away they realized that this was in fact intentional. All staffwere wearing PMRS vests which clearly indicated that they were medicalpersonnel. Fortunately there were no injuries.

Once again the Israeli forces have attempted to prevent medical teamsfrom carrying out their essential humanitarian work. This time, notcontent with causing the complete devastation that now exists in Rafah,the soldiers have also tried to stop the provision of aid to the area. PMRS asks all humanitarian, human rights and health organizations toprotest these recent actions and pressurize the Israeli occupationforces to allow the free movement of medical teams.

Letters can bewritten to:Menachem Mazuz, Attorney-General Ministry of Justice 9 Salah al-Din Street Jerusalem 91010, Israel Fax: +972 2 6285438
Tommy Lapid - Minister of Justice29 Salah al-Din StreetJerusalem 91010IsraelTel: +972 2 6708511Fax: +972 2 6285438E-mail: sar@justice.gov.il
For further information please contact: pmrsupdates@yahoo.comhttp://www.palestinemonitor.org/
new_web/israeli_occupation_forces_attack_PMRS.htm