“Our mission is only to provide medical assistance and they should not be punished by suspicion, detention or death,” said Safiya al-Bibissi, a Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance driver. Israeli troops responding in the illegally occupied West Bank.
Despite the risks, al-Bibissi drives his ambulance through blocked roads and restricted areas to reach patients in Tulkarem. “We are always targets. It is psychological destruction.” She added that her uniform does not protect her from violence by the Israeli military.
Since the start of the Gaza war, the Palestinian Red Crescent has reported at least 750 violations targeting staff and patients in the West Bank. Last September, Israeli forces launched the largest attack on occupied territory since the Second Intifada, killing 18 people, including children, in Tulkarem. The destruction of Palestine’s infrastructure, including homes, roads, and water and sewage systems, has made it more difficult for emergency responders to reach people in need.
Palestinians in the occupied territories are currently struggling to secure necessities, including food and water. “No one in this situation can think of themselves as free,” said Raghad al-Fanni, also a Tulkarem resident. Al Fani spent more than a year in an Israeli prison without being formally charged. This was done in accordance with Israel’s administrative detention practices, which allow Israel to detain Palestinians without trial or explanation. Under this system, at least 3,300 Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons.
Al Fani was released last year during a four-day hiatus in fighting between Israel and Hamas, including an exchange of Israeli and Palestinian prisoners. “Now just getting through the day without fear of external danger is an achievement in itself,” she reflects. As the uncertainty she faced in prison continued under occupation, life on the outside remained difficult.
hereto close up In the episode, watch a story of resilience amid rising violence and the growing human cost of ongoing conflict in the occupied West Bank.
Credits:
Director/Screenplay: Tierney Bonini
Producer: Manar Altel
Associate Producer: Alim Al Maded
Editor: Farah Fayed
Additional Editor: Antonia Perello
Colorist: Catherine Hallinan
Sound Mixer: Linus Bergman
Senior Editor: Donald Cameron
