Red Crescent declares 'state of emergency' after attacks on staff
Oct. 4, 2015 5:02 P.M. (Updated: Oct. 4, 2015 5:19 P.M.)

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Palestine Red Crescent Society on Sunday declared a
state of emergency across the occupied Palestinian territory following an
upsurge in violence by Israeli soldiers and settlers, including 14 attacks
on the society's ambulances in just three days.

The society said in a statement that it was declaring a level 3 state of
emergency and putting all its staff, teams and volunteers on standby.

The society decried Israeli violations of international humanitarian law,
saying that over 72 hours, it had faced 14 attacks against its staff and
vehicles "in a serious escalation of violations against PRCS, its teams and
the humanitarian services they render."

Most recently, the statement said that Israeli soldiers attacked one of the
society's ambulances while tending to injured Palestinians during clashes in
front of al-Quds university's Abu Dis campus earlier on Sunday.

Two days earlier, the statement said that Israeli forces attacked an
ambulance in al-Issawiya village in occupied East Jerusalem, before they
"proceeded to arrest an injured Palestinian from inside the ambulance."

Separately on Friday, the windshield of another ambulance was smashed by
settlers in Burin village in Nablus, preventing it from "discharging its
humanitarian duty."

The society said that on Saturday, five paramedics "were beaten up by
soldiers in Jerusalem," while Israeli forces also attacked an ambulance crew
with batons in Jerusalem's Old City.

The statement said Israeli soldiers also "severely beat another ambulance
crew in Jabal Al Taweel (Al-Bireh), wounding two paramedics," afterward
detaining a wounded Palestinian from the ambulance.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society, which is a full member of the
International Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, said that the
incidents were "a blatant violation" of international humanitarian law.

The society called on the international community, including the UN General
Assembly and Security Council, to "shoulder their responsibilities by taking
the necessary steps to make Israeli occupation authorities comply" with
international law.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society was founded in 1968, to cater to
Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Following the 1993 Oslo Accord, the newly established Palestinian Authority
Ministry of Health mandated the society to provide an ambulance service to
the Palestinian population.

Recent days have seen a surge of violence across the occupied Palestinian
territory.

Tensions had been steadily mounting in recent weeks due to Israeli
restrictions on Palestinians seeking to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in
East Jerusalem.

A string of deadly attacks on Israelis, including a shooting that left two
settlers dead in the West Bank on Thursday, and a stabbing in Jerusalem that
claimed two Israelis' lives on Saturday, prompted further clashes.

Dozens of Palestinians have been reported injured in recent days, including
many shot with live rounds.