Hebron: Ambulance Detained

Facebook
Twitter
Email
WhatsApp
Print

On October 30, a Red Crescent Society ambulance, escorted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was transporting Palestinian Hana Abu Haikel from a Jerusalem hospital, where she had undergone multiple surgeries, to her home in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron. The Israeli military detained the ambulance at the Beit Romano checkpoint in Hebron for two hours before allowing it through to the Abu Haikel’s house.

Tel Rumeida is located in the Israeli-controlled H2 area of Hebron,* and is the site of one of the four Israeli settlement enclaves in the city. Palestinian vehicles need special permission to enter H2. The ICRC often coordinates ambulance travel into the area with the Israeli authorities.

The Israeli military stopped the ambulance at 1:00pm. CPTers on street patrol saw the waiting ambulance and documented the situation. For an hour, the ambulance crew unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate passage through the checkpoint. At that point they had to take Hana to a nearby hospital because the delay precipitated a need for urgent medical care.

Negotiations continued with the Israeli military until shortly after 3:00pm when soldiers finally allowed the ambulance and the ICRC vehicle through. The Israeli Border Police then escorted the medical vehicles to the Abu Haikel’s home.

* In 1997, the city of Hebron was divided into two areas: H1, which is under Palestinian control and H2, which is under Israeli military control.

Read More Stories

Dozens of people crowd toward the entrance of a checkpoint, waiting for Israeli military to open the gate.

Privilege of movement

Basic freedom of movement in Palestine—walking to the grocery store, driving to visit family, or flying internationally—depends on your nationality, race, and religion. As a Palestinian, you are denied these rights as others in your country move freely.

A person wearing a red CPT vest walks along a road with the apartheid wall to their right, covered in graffiti and towering over them.

Dear White Supremacist

CPT Palestine team members engaged in a friendly and introductory conversation with a white person, but it took an unexpected turn.

a graphic image with large bold text reading FREE MORIA 6

After the 2020 fire in Moria

Six young migrants are made scapegoats of a failed EU migration policy – Call for fair and transparent trial for the Moria 6 on 6 March 2023 in Lesvos! 

Skip to content