RAMALLAH, June 26, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli colonists in the occupied West Bank are not only continuing their violent attacks on villages and towns, which include killing, arson, house demolitions, and land destruction, but have now extended their terrorism to obstructing ambulances en route to treat the injured and sick.
Recently, ambulance crews have documented, via video footage, attempts by colonists to impede the movement of emergency vehicles, preventing them from reaching their destinations in a timely manner and providing necessary emergency care to victims of colonist and Israeli army violence, as well as to other patients in need of medical attention.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) released a video on Thursday, showing an attempt by a colonist to block one of its ambulances heading to cover a colonist attack on the town of Turmus Ayya, located northeast of Ramallah. Local residents had reported injuries as a result of the attack.
The Society also highlighted a similar incident on Wednesday evening when its medical teams were heading to the village of Kafr Malik after a colonist attack, supported by Israeli occupation forces, that resulted in the killing of three Palestinians and the injury of seven others by live ammunition.
Speaking to WAFA, Nibal Farsakh, the PRCS spokesperson, said, “Our teams constantly face difficulties in reaching the wounded and sick to provide them with urgent medical care due to the escalating attacks by Israeli forces and colonists on the cities, towns, villages, and refugee camps across the West Bank. Additionally, the increasing number of military checkpoints and gates further hampers our ability to provide prompt medical services."
Fareskh further explained, "There are ongoing attacks, both by the Israeli army and colonists, aimed at preventing us from offering medical assistance to the injured and sick. The obstruction of ambulances in Turmus Ayya and Kafr Malik is part of a broader pattern that has intensified over the last few months. These actions pose a direct threat to the safety of our teams and to the lives of those in need of medical care.”
The spokesperson added that the frequency of attacks on ambulances and medical teams has surged since the start of Israel’s military aggression on Gaza in October 2023. Farsakh emphasized that these actions violate international humanitarian law, especially by obstructing or preventing ambulances from reaching their destinations.
Moreover, she noted that despite prior coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Israeli forces routinely hinder or block ambulances from reaching certain areas, making it even harder to provide essential healthcare services.
"It’s not only about preventing ambulances from reaching the injured and sick, or delaying their arrival; in many cases, medical teams face direct assaults, including gunfire, detainment, and physical attacks," Fareskh said.
The PRCS spokesperson reiterated that obstructing the work of medical teams, preventing the transport of the sick and injured, and attacking healthcare workers, constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law. Specifically, it breaches the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which is designed to protect civilians during times of war.
M.N
