Brutal Force on International & Palestinian Medics

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday April 16, 2002 16:23 by LorraineR - USI environment_usi at yahoo dot co dot uk USI,Grattan Street,Dublin 2 00353 86 6098656

25 Internationals and 6 Palestinian medics some as young as 15, on route to Nablus from the camps at Askar and Balata were held for a couple of hours and then severly beaten by Israeli soldiers. Mobile phones, cameras and film were smashed by the soldiers even when in use.

Ambulance Centre seems to be the only refuge for Palestinians and International aid workers.Their efforts today to deliver supplies to camps at Askar (which was attacked last night by shell fire) and Balata, was successful. However, their attempts to get back to Nablus was not easy. They were held and violently assaulted by Israeli soldiers,who only hours before seemed oblivious to their presence.

The aid workers were held at a checkpoint for more than 2 hours, were the Israeli soldiers tried to separate the Palestinians from the Internationals.Dozens of rounds of bullets were fired above the groups heads. Some internationals tried to negotiate with the soldiers, however, various offers made by the Israeli soldiers left the Palestinian medics susceptible to violence. The Israeli soldiers grew tired of negotiation, resorted to separating the Palestinian men from the group.They proceeded to handcuff on the ground. They then threw a sound grenade and continued to kick and threaten all of the group.

A Palestian doctor and British national were very badly beaten with bloody mouths and most of the group received bruises and minor fractures.

Vaious compromise were suggested,one to allow the Palestinians to walk 50 metres ahead of the group with some international women. Another to have the Palestinians walk behind the internationals. The compromise that was eventually reached was that half of the internationals set to leave today gather their belongings from the Ambulance centre in Nablus and then return. Therefore ensuring a constant international presence.

The group has returned to the Ambulance centre and all are ok. Despite the Israeli government declaring Nablus a demilitarised zone,5 tanks,4 APCs,2 jeeps,20 soldiers and 2 snipper positions were still observed by the group.