By Fayha Shalash in Jenin, occupied Palestine

Israeli forces have been blocking ambulances and obstructing access to hospitals in Jenin, leading to preventable deaths and denying medical care to wounded Palestinians. The ongoing large-scale raid on the city, now in its third day, has resulted in at least 12 fatalities and dozens of injuries. The besiegement of hospitals by Israeli soldiers has further exacerbated the dire situation, with no one being allowed to enter or exit the medical facilities.

The humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that on Thursday, a 17-year-old boy named Musa Khatib was shot and killed inside the Khalil Suleiman Hospital compound. MSF also revealed that Israeli forces have prevented ambulances from transporting discharged patients back to their homes, ordering paramedics and drivers out of the vehicles and leaving patients stranded.

According to first responders, ambulances have been blocked from transporting wounded individuals to hospitals as well. One tragic case involved Fouad Abahra, 36, who suffered a gunshot wound but bled to death in the ambulance as the medical team waited for Israeli soldiers to grant them passage. The wounded have either been denied access to medical care or have been arrested from inside ambulances.

Khaled al-Ahmed, an ambulance driver, shared the distressing details of Abahra's case. He explained that despite Abahra's critical condition, Israeli soldiers delayed the ambulance for more than half an hour. They demanded the wounded person's identity card, a new policy implemented by the Israeli army during the war on Gaza, to identify "wanted persons." As a result of the delay, Abahra tragically bled out and died inside the ambulance.

The Palestinian health ministry further revealed that sick Palestinians have been unable to reach hospitals due to the ongoing violence. Ahmed Samar, a 13-year-old special needs boy, succumbed to his illness on Tuesday when his father couldn't reach the Khalil Suleiman Hospital due to the raid. Samar's father attempted to bring him by car, but blocked roads forced him to carry his son on foot. Tragically, Samar arrived at the hospital deceased.

Multiple pleas for help and requests for ambulances have gone unanswered due to Israeli obstructions, even with prior coordination. The Israeli army has repeatedly besieged hospitals in Jenin during the recent raids, hindering the movement of medical teams and subjecting them to harassment and humiliation.

Wissam Bakr, director of the Jenin Governmental Hospital, denounced the Israeli army's invasion and their actions towards the medical facilities. He reported that the military vehicles surrounded the hospital and prevented ambulance crews from leaving. Two ambulances came under Israeli fire while transporting patients suffering from kidney failure. Tear gas was also fired, causing patients and employees to suffocate inside the hospital.

The demand for identity cards of wounded individuals being transported is deemed a dangerous measure that medical teams in Jenin have repeatedly warned against. The indiscriminate use of tear gas near hospital premises poses a threat to the lives of premature babies who were forced to be moved to a smaller room to protect them from suffocation.

The ongoing obstruction of medical care in Jenin by Israeli forces is leading to unnecessary loss of life and the denial of essential healthcare services to the wounded. Human rights organizations continue to condemn these actions, calling for an immediate end to the besiegement of hospitals and the obstruction of ambulance services. The international community is urged to intervene and ensure the unhindered access of Palestinians to vital medical care in these critical times.