“The raids in Jenin are becoming more frequent, and their intensity seems to be reaching new heights. We have treated several patients with gunshot wounds to the head and received 55 wounded,” says Jovana Arsenijevic, operations coordinator for Doctors Without Borders. (MSF) in Jenin.
Military bulldozers have destroyed multiple roads leading to the Jenin refugee camp, stripping them of pavement and making it nearly impossible for ambulances to reach patients.
During the incursion, the Palestinian paramedics have been forced to advance on foot, in an area with shooting and drone attacks. All roads leading to the camp have been blocked for the duration of the military operation, despite the presence of patients in need of care inside the refugee camp.
“We have been working for more than 15 hours and patients continue to arrive. This is a military operation of unprecedented duration, and yet there are still victims who cannot be reached. Health personnel must be allowed access to patients without obstacles,” said Arsenijevic.
The July 3 raid has brought to 48 the death toll during Israeli forces’ operations in Jenin this year. As the frequency of raids increases, so do the obstacles to the provision of medical care.
What is the Jenin refugee camp?
The Jenin refugee camp was established in 1950 and is a densely populated area of the city. It was created to house Palestinians expelled from their homes in the northern West Bank by the Israelis. During the 1948 Arab Israeli war, some 700,000 Palestinians lost their homes.