Tensions Heighten In Ramallah

national | miscellaneous | news report Saturday March 30, 2002 22:35 by published here by Antrophe antrophe at hotmail dot com

- two eye witness accounts

This has been the second day of the appalling war against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank and the first day of attacks, siege and curfews also in areas located in the Be. Throughout the whole day, thousands of new soldiers were deployed inside Ramallah and, as we write, even more are heading towards the already besieged and occupied city.

On early Friday morning, 29 March 2002, Israeli forces re-invaded the city of Ramallah. The Israeli forces have occupied Ramallah completely and have established tank positions throughout the city, in all civilian areas. We can hear explosions, tank shelling and heavy caliber gunfire throughout the night and day. Israeli snipers are shooting regularly in civilian neighborhoods at times when they are not under any form of fire. As we write this, there are US-made Apache attack helicopters overhead firing on the city. Israeli bulldozers are creating permanent positions for the tanks in and around private houses. There is the constant sound of tank movements throughout residential areas.
Israeli forces have attacked the Presidential compound, and are now holding Palestinian President Yasser Arafat hostage with no electricity, water or phone lines. Members of President Arafat’s bodyguards have been killed, and others are still injured and being denied medical care. Conditions in the city are now deteriorating rapidly.
There is a familiar pattern of emergency rapidly developing. This is the beginning of a humanitarian crisis. Immediate intervention is required to prevent a disaster. No Movement Possible: Inhabitants of the city are under complete curfew. There is absolutely no freedom of movement, even for ambulances, doctors or international agencies, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). There is no medical access. Palestine Red Crescent medical relief workers have not been permitted to provide medical services to the local population. Israeli forces are firing on anyone walking out on the streets.
On Thursday, based on fears of an Israeli re-invasion, more than 500 inhabitants, including foreign nationals, lined up in the mud and rain at the Qalandiya checkpoint—the only exit point from the city allowed by Israel—begging Israeli soldiers to allow them to escape. In response, Israeli soldiers fired over their heads, exacerbating the panic and causing most to simply return to Ramallah.
Israeli Forces Using Human Shields: Israeli soldiers are occupying an increasing number of private residences and detaining the residents collectively in single rooms, with little or no access to telephone lines, news coverage or even food and water. In some cases, tens of civilians (including entire families) are being held in one room. Meanwhile, Israeli occupation soldiers have taken up armed positions in the houses or apartments of these residents. Civilian detainees include foreign nationals.
No Access to the City: The ICRC, the UN and other humanitarian agencies are unable to access the city or to access the civilian detainees and other prisoners.
Food Resources Limited: There is no food entering Ramallah and no one is allowed to restock. There will shortly be a food and drinking water crisis. Some parts of Ramallah are already without water altogether. Israeli soldiers are also eating the food of residents while taking up positions in
their houses.
Electricity Being Cut: Large parts of Ramallah are without electricity and heat. The weather has been raining and unseasonably cold - residents have been struggling to keep warm. The lack of electricity also means that residents are without television and any news reporting of the situation outside their homes. Many residents of the city rely on cellular phones for communication and without electricity they are unable to recharge their phones. Therefore, the population is being held in isolation and there is increasing fear and confusion. Also, some telephone landlines have been cut.
Prisoners Being Taken: Israeli forces are taking Palestinians prisoner, in the streets and in house-to-house searches. Israeli troops are calling upon all male residents between the ages of 16 and 40 in some neighborhoods to “surrender”. The wounded are being treated roughly and being denied medical access. Now, their fate is unknown. There are reports of summary execution of some prisoners. The ICRC does not have access to them to ensure adherence to international law, and specifically the Geneva Conventions.
Gratuitous Vandalism and Destruction: There are on-going spiteful acts of destruction. Most commonly, Israeli tanks are driving over and flattening cars whether on the streets or parked on pavements in front of residences. Personal property inside houses is being destroyed in house-to-house
searches.

SECOND DAY OF SEIGE

This has been the second day of the appalling war against the Palestinian civilian population in the
West Bank and the first day of attacks, siege and curfews also in areas located in the Be. Throughout the whole day, thousands of new soldiers were deployed inside Ramallah and, as we write, even more are heading towards the already besieged and occupied city. The Israeli army has placed snipers on the top of every high building and across the town a total curfew has been enforced. Hence, no one is able or willing to leave the houses or dwellings they find themselves in. Since yesterday and up to now five members of the Palestinian Police on duty were assassinated - without any gunfire or display of
resistance whatsoever and their corpses were left to decompose and were found by chance today. The Arab Care Hospital was attacked and was searched with trained dogs. The only two ambulances available to medical relief teams were both confiscated by the Israelis (one yesterday at 10 p m and the second was confiscated today at 11:15 am along with its driver, Mr. Mahad al-Qadi, who, at the time of writing, is still under Israeli detention. We have been receiving alarming news about Israeli soldiers using the ambulances in their raids against Palestinians. Since yesterday the occupier soldiers have been carrying out house-to-house searches. Whenever they enter a house they make sure utmost possible material damage is accomplished (destroying all furniture, fixtures and ransacking all belongings) not to mention psychological trauma and damage. Soldiers were reported to widely having resorted to stealing money and mobile handsets. Several witnesses are available and are willing to make further formal complains as well as wish to present their cases to appropriated legal prosecutorial bodies as soon as the situation provides for. Soldiers took control of the local TV station and since then have been broadcasting racist material with anti-Arab contents and also pornographic videos. The overall mood is of despair and apprehension and Palestinians feel completely vulnerable.
Today scores of women, together with international grass-root solidarity teams tried to demonstrate in
the center of the city and up to now around 100 people have been arrested, including several political
leaders. GIPP people from various countries, already inside Ramallah when the invasion took place, managed to reach the Ramallah Hospital to donate blood and a number of them managed to reach the compound of the Palestinian Authority. Finally, of worrisome proportions is the humanitarian crisis in the making: pregnant women cannot risk going after proper medical care for eventual deliveries, many injured people are still inside the compound occupied yesterday by the invading forces and it is impossible for local medical teams provide care for them as well as for anyone else in need of an
ambulance.