GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/

[The following message from 'Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees and

'Physicians for Human Rights-Israel' reached us after midnight (Israeli time).

Through a telephone chain the Physicians for Human Rights called upon other peace

and human rights activists to assist in the effort of approaching political

officials, diplomats, etc. We were told that the situation worsened after the

email was written on, because Red Cross vehicles which were accompanying Red Crescent

ambulances were fired on this evening and they have ceased accompaniment.

This means that all medical services in Ramallah are totally cut off at this point.

Doctors and patients can not get to the hospitals. PHR is currently trying to help

a pregnant woman in El-Bireh get to a hospital, there are people who are wounded.

Please, contact whoever you can. See also contact information in the end of this message.]

The 'Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees' and 'Physicians for

Human Rights - Israel' jointly appeal for an end to the humanitarian nightmare

in the Palestinian territories.

Ramallah is now under complete occupation, 120 tanks are present on the

streets, and both helicopters and tanks are bombarding different

neighborhoods with missiles. Two hospitals, the Ramallah Hospital and

Ramallah Maternity Hospital, have been fired upon by Israeli troops. Also,

as in many places in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, soldiers have this

morning fired upon two ambulances in Ramallah.

Additionally the Israeli army is preventing access to medical care for the

sick and wounded, by forbidding their movement to hospital, and also by

refusing medical teams access to them for treatment at the scene. Clearly,

preventing access to the wounded will lead to more deaths; preventing sick

people from receiving treatment will also contribute to more deaths.

We urgently demand action from the world - international and humanitarian

organizations must immediately force the Israeli government to halt this

atrocity. We call upon you to demonstrate, to call governmental

representatives, to take any action that will allow Palestinian wounded

and ill to receive medical treatment - preventing more unnecessary deaths.

We also plead for foreign governments to act to bring an immediate halt to

this aggression by the Israeli army, and an end to this humanitarian crisis.

-----------------------------------------------

Please contact (some of) the following by (1)email, and (2)fax and

telephone - as far as

available:

(1) email addresses

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon

Spokesperson of the Prime Minister

Defence Minister Benjamin Beneliezer

Deputy Defense Minister Dalia Rabin Pilosof, sgansar@mod.gov.il

Foreign Minister Shimon Peres ,

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan ecu@un.org, coi@un.org

US President George W. Bush president@whitehouse.gov

"Secretary of State, Colin Powell" ,

"Mr. Terje Rod Larsen Personal Representative of the Secretary General to

the United Nations in Palestine" unsco@palnet.com, lemore@un.org

Ms. Mary Robinson UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Council of the European Union

karin.roxman@consilium.eu.int

christian.jouret@consilium.eu.int,

Javier.Sancho-Velazquez@consilium.eu.int

(2)

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon: The Office of the Prime Minister, Kiryat

Ben-Gurion, Jerusalem, Israel; Office Tel. 972-2-6705555/10Fax:

972-2-566-4838/6705415;

Minister of Foreign Affairs Shimon Peres: HaKirya Romema Jerusalem 91950

Tel. 972 2 5303531/3631/530 fax (+972-2) 5303506 /

5303896 5303367

Commander, Civil Administration Fax 972 2 9977326

President George W. Bush,

Fax: +1-202-456-2461;

phone: (202) 456-1414

Secretary of State Colin Powell,

Fax: +1-202-261-8577;



Further Details:

Hadas Ziv +972(0)50-228599 (Physicians for Human Rights-Israel)

Miri@phr.org.il

Rabbi Arik Asherman (Rabbis For Human Rights)

info@rhr.israel.net Tel. 972 (0)2 563-7731