APPEAL
Medical teams detained at checkpoint
Wednesday 29 August 2001 4.45 p.m., Hawarra Checkpoint, North West Bank
Since 2.30 pm, the Israeli army has blocked access to medical teams from several local and international institutions at Hawarra checkpoint. The Israeli army has for over two hours denied passage of a Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committee (UPMRC) mobile medical clinic, another team of UPMRC doctors, and a Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulance. In addition, the soldiers are detaining an UNRWA vehicle in which the Director of Qalqilya hospital is traveling and a Ministry of Health car in which four doctors are traveling. The denial of access of medical personnel is a severe violation of international human rights standards and a grave breach of the IV Geneva Convention. We call on you to act for the immediate release of these groups of medical personnel, in order that they should be allowed to continue on their journeys and carry out their work. Please write to Israeli Defence Minister, Benjamin Ben Elizier, at sar@mod.gov.il, and demand that these groups are allowed to pass immediately. For more information contact Mustafa Barghouthi, 050-254-218 and see www.palestinemonitor.org