31 dec 2014
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A five-year-old Palestinian boy died Wednesday morning after a fire broke out in his family home in the southern West Bank village of Beit Awwa southwest of Hebron, Palestinian security sources said.
South Hebron district attorney Alaa Tamimi confirmed that 5-year-old Ammar Raed Sweiti died in the incident. His body was taken to al-Ahli Hospital in the city of Hebron, and local police and the district attorney launched an investigation into the incident. Local sources said the child was sleeping when his mother went to escort her daughter to the school bus, and when she came back, she saw smoke clouds rising from the house. The mother shouted for help but fire fighters and ambulances arrived late because the area is relatively far from the nearest civil defense station. Paramedics for the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance services said that the boy was found dead in one of the corners in the house. The mother, they said, suffered nervous breakdown as a result of the incident. Director of the Hebron district civil defense services Anwar al-Mahariq told Ma'an that the fire was caused by a short circuit in an electric heater. |
The house consisted of two rooms with a roof of tin sheets and a fore ceiling. The victim, he added, suffered from autism, and was sleeping when the fire broke out.
8 oct 2014
A powerful explosion occurred Tuesday night near the headquarters of the French cultural center in Gaza City, with no civilian casualties. Eyewitnesses said that at first, they heard the sound of a big blast near the French cultural center and Al-Ansar security compound before they saw a nearby place going up in flames.
Spokesman for the Palestinian interior ministry Iyad Al-Bazem stated in a press release that a fire broke out late Tuesday night in the fuel tanks of the French center, affirming that no civilian casualties were reported by the blast or fire.
The spokesman added that the civil defense forces managed to contain the fire, noting that the competent authorities started to investigate the incident.
Spokesman for the Palestinian interior ministry Iyad Al-Bazem stated in a press release that a fire broke out late Tuesday night in the fuel tanks of the French center, affirming that no civilian casualties were reported by the blast or fire.
The spokesman added that the civil defense forces managed to contain the fire, noting that the competent authorities started to investigate the incident.
2 july 2014
A fire broke out on Wednesday in a field in western Jerusalem, Israeli media reported.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that fire crews accompanied by six planes tried to control the fire, while the police told residents to evacuate their houses.
Another fire broke out in Jerusalem's Tzur Hadassa area, and firefighters were working to put it out.
In the village of Lifta, also in western Jerusalem, another fire broke out and crews of firefighters rushed to the place.
The fire spread, forcing the Israeli police to shut the main road between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that fire crews accompanied by six planes tried to control the fire, while the police told residents to evacuate their houses.
Another fire broke out in Jerusalem's Tzur Hadassa area, and firefighters were working to put it out.
In the village of Lifta, also in western Jerusalem, another fire broke out and crews of firefighters rushed to the place.
The fire spread, forcing the Israeli police to shut the main road between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
A fire in the Bethlehem-area village of al-Ubeidiya killed over 8,000 birds and chickens on Wednesday, civil defense officials said.
A fire broke out in a steel structure used to house poultry, fire fighters said, causing large scale damage and killing thousands of chickens and birds.
A fire broke out in a steel structure used to house poultry, fire fighters said, causing large scale damage and killing thousands of chickens and birds.
30 june 2014
Six Palestinians were hospitalized after a fire broke out in a residential building in East Jerusalem on Monday, witnesses said.
Locals told Ma'an that a fire started Monday morning in a five-story building in the Beit Hanina neighborhood.
Fire fighters and rescue teams arrived at the scene and contained the fire.
Six people, who suffered smoke inhalation, were taken to Shaare Zedek medical center.
Locals told Ma'an that a fire started Monday morning in a five-story building in the Beit Hanina neighborhood.
Fire fighters and rescue teams arrived at the scene and contained the fire.
Six people, who suffered smoke inhalation, were taken to Shaare Zedek medical center.
26 june 2014
A large fire raged near the Palestinian village of Nahaf in the Galilee region of northern Israel on Thursday afternoon, Israeli media said.
Israeli news site Ynet said that the police had evacuated villagers even though there was not any "direct danger" to them, adding that they will let them return as soon as they control the fire.
On Wednesday, two major fires broke out west of Jerusalem, prompting evacuations. Both fires, however, were eventually brought under control.
Israeli news site Ynet said that the police had evacuated villagers even though there was not any "direct danger" to them, adding that they will let them return as soon as they control the fire.
On Wednesday, two major fires broke out west of Jerusalem, prompting evacuations. Both fires, however, were eventually brought under control.
25 june 2014
Two major fires are currently raging west of Jerusalem in the areas of Ein Kerem and Kibbutz Nataf, near Abu Ghosh.
Jerusalem police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said on Twitter that six planes and more than 20 fire fighter teams were working near Ein Karem area to contain the fire, which was still not under control.
A number of structures had also been evacuated, he added.
Three individuals were reported to have suffered light injuries as a result of suffocation from the fires.
Jerusalem police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said on Twitter that six planes and more than 20 fire fighter teams were working near Ein Karem area to contain the fire, which was still not under control.
A number of structures had also been evacuated, he added.
Three individuals were reported to have suffered light injuries as a result of suffocation from the fires.
22 may 2014
A man was seriously wounded on Thursday as an explosion ripped through the old city of Nablus, Palestinian security officials said.
Ameed Salim Akkub, 23, sustained serious burns in the explosion, which also damaged several stores near the al-Hanbali mosque.
Firefighters arrived at the scene and put out the blaze.
Police officials said its too early to determine the cause of the explosion.
Arbitrary arrests, severe injuries following IOF raids
Several Palestinian citizens were left severely wounded while others have been targeted with arbitrary arrest campaigns following Israeli raids in different Nablus and Jenin areas at dawn Thursday. Eyewitnesses told the PIC correspondent a powerful blast was heard in the old City of Nablus following a raid launched by dozens of Israeli military vehicles. Palestinian young man Amid Akouba was severely wounded in the process and carried to the hospital after his limps were amputated.
Several shops were set on fire due to the blast and fire crews were immediately summoned to rescue the remaining shops.
Violent confrontations broke out between Israeli soldiers and unarmed Palestinian youngsters near al-Hanbali mosque in Nablus, followed by IOF heavy shooting, eye-witnesses further documented.
Large numbers of Israeli patrols have also deployed at the main entrance to Balata refugee camp near the eastern part of Nablus.
Local sources said large buses packed with Israeli extremist settlers invaded Joseph's Tomb area under pretext of Talmudic prayers.
Invasions are often carried out under purported claims that the tomb is prophet Joseph’s, peace be upon him, while in reality the grave goes back to a Balata native called Youssef Duwikat, as other official historical records have corroborated.
Violent clashes broke out between youths and Israeli soldiers in Hisbe and Amman streets as Israeli patrols moved into the area to protect the settler buses. Several injuries among Palestinian youths were documented following heavy firing of tear gas canisters and live ammunition by IOF.
The confrontations kept going on for long hours, during which IOF fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at Palestinians’ homes, generating a state of unparalleled panic among women and children.
In a related event, IOF broke into Burqa village, north of Nablus, and summoned a 15-year-old child for interrogation.
The attacks coincide with a series of raids, search-campaigns, and combing operations launched at dawn Thursday in different Jenin areas. A Palestinian citizen was apprehended while an ex-detainee was summoned for interrogation.
Meanwhile, a horde of Israeli extremist settlers broke into the evacuated illegal Homesh settlement, south of Jenin, and stationed amid its hills and olive woods.
Southern Jenin native Salah Abd Al-Hamid Salah, 24, was already arrested at an early morning hour at a military checkpoint near Bethlehem and carried to an unidentified destination.
Ameed Salim Akkub, 23, sustained serious burns in the explosion, which also damaged several stores near the al-Hanbali mosque.
Firefighters arrived at the scene and put out the blaze.
Police officials said its too early to determine the cause of the explosion.
Arbitrary arrests, severe injuries following IOF raids
Several Palestinian citizens were left severely wounded while others have been targeted with arbitrary arrest campaigns following Israeli raids in different Nablus and Jenin areas at dawn Thursday. Eyewitnesses told the PIC correspondent a powerful blast was heard in the old City of Nablus following a raid launched by dozens of Israeli military vehicles. Palestinian young man Amid Akouba was severely wounded in the process and carried to the hospital after his limps were amputated.
Several shops were set on fire due to the blast and fire crews were immediately summoned to rescue the remaining shops.
Violent confrontations broke out between Israeli soldiers and unarmed Palestinian youngsters near al-Hanbali mosque in Nablus, followed by IOF heavy shooting, eye-witnesses further documented.
Large numbers of Israeli patrols have also deployed at the main entrance to Balata refugee camp near the eastern part of Nablus.
Local sources said large buses packed with Israeli extremist settlers invaded Joseph's Tomb area under pretext of Talmudic prayers.
Invasions are often carried out under purported claims that the tomb is prophet Joseph’s, peace be upon him, while in reality the grave goes back to a Balata native called Youssef Duwikat, as other official historical records have corroborated.
Violent clashes broke out between youths and Israeli soldiers in Hisbe and Amman streets as Israeli patrols moved into the area to protect the settler buses. Several injuries among Palestinian youths were documented following heavy firing of tear gas canisters and live ammunition by IOF.
The confrontations kept going on for long hours, during which IOF fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at Palestinians’ homes, generating a state of unparalleled panic among women and children.
In a related event, IOF broke into Burqa village, north of Nablus, and summoned a 15-year-old child for interrogation.
The attacks coincide with a series of raids, search-campaigns, and combing operations launched at dawn Thursday in different Jenin areas. A Palestinian citizen was apprehended while an ex-detainee was summoned for interrogation.
Meanwhile, a horde of Israeli extremist settlers broke into the evacuated illegal Homesh settlement, south of Jenin, and stationed amid its hills and olive woods.
Southern Jenin native Salah Abd Al-Hamid Salah, 24, was already arrested at an early morning hour at a military checkpoint near Bethlehem and carried to an unidentified destination.
21 may 2014
Suspected arsonists set fire to a popular market in Nablus overnight Tuesday for the second time since March, firefighters said.
Director of Nablus fire department, Muhannad Asqalan, told Ma'an that a team was dispatched immediately after a blaze broke out in a market at around 2 a.m.
They managed to control the fire, but a few stores were completely destroyed.
Initial investigations suggest that the fire was started intentionally using flammable liquids.
Director of Nablus fire department, Muhannad Asqalan, told Ma'an that a team was dispatched immediately after a blaze broke out in a market at around 2 a.m.
They managed to control the fire, but a few stores were completely destroyed.
Initial investigations suggest that the fire was started intentionally using flammable liquids.
20 may 2014
Teen injured in Yatta clashes
In a fire which broke out in central Israel, on Tuesday, two Palestinian workers have died while another has been injured after jumping to safety, according to medical sources. A Palestinian teenager was also injured on Tuesday, during clashes which broke out in Yatta.
Medics told Ma'an that two men, both from the West Bank city of Nablus, were killed in a fire which started in a banquet hall, in Beit Nehemia.
Another worker was injured after he jumped from the second floor of the building, upon which he was taken to Assaf Harofeh medical center, in Petah Tikva.
Earlier today, a young Palestinian was hit by a high-velocity tear gas canister during clashes with Israeli troops in the southern West Bank town of Yatta, according to a local official.
Spokesman for the Yatta municipality, Abd al-Aziz Abu Fanar, told Ma'an that Tamir Raed Abu Sabha was taken to a nearby hospital after being hit by the canister.
According to Fanar, the clashes took place near NGO offices and the office of the Yatta municipality, where Israeli soldiers bombarded the area with tear gas and stun grenades, which caused a state of alarm among the residents.
A spokesman for the Israeli military said that a "violent riot" ensued in the area following an arrest raid, and that the tear gas and stun grenades came as a means of dispersal.
In a fire which broke out in central Israel, on Tuesday, two Palestinian workers have died while another has been injured after jumping to safety, according to medical sources. A Palestinian teenager was also injured on Tuesday, during clashes which broke out in Yatta.
Medics told Ma'an that two men, both from the West Bank city of Nablus, were killed in a fire which started in a banquet hall, in Beit Nehemia.
Another worker was injured after he jumped from the second floor of the building, upon which he was taken to Assaf Harofeh medical center, in Petah Tikva.
Earlier today, a young Palestinian was hit by a high-velocity tear gas canister during clashes with Israeli troops in the southern West Bank town of Yatta, according to a local official.
Spokesman for the Yatta municipality, Abd al-Aziz Abu Fanar, told Ma'an that Tamir Raed Abu Sabha was taken to a nearby hospital after being hit by the canister.
According to Fanar, the clashes took place near NGO offices and the office of the Yatta municipality, where Israeli soldiers bombarded the area with tear gas and stun grenades, which caused a state of alarm among the residents.
A spokesman for the Israeli military said that a "violent riot" ensued in the area following an arrest raid, and that the tear gas and stun grenades came as a means of dispersal.
16 apr 2014
It was astonishing to see the creativity and technical skills behind these vehicles
By Joe Catron
Yesterday I visited the Civil Defence Directorate, which provides the fire and rescue service in Gaza, as well as some emergency ambulances and marine rescue. These guys have a reputation as being fearless, as well as being the most vulnerable to attack during times of war. In the 2008-9 war, 13 Civil Defence workers were killed in the line of duty, with 31 injured. This includes medics killed in their ambulances by snipers and firefighters injured by secondary drone attacks while rescuing victims of the initial strikes. These risks are additional to jobs which are considered dangerous even in peaceful countries like the UK and USA.
I found out plenty about the Civil Defence’s ambulance service, including interviewing staff and looking around the ambulances and equipment stores, but I’m going to save that for a later post and just write about the firefighters. In the UK, the ambulance service and fire service are separate so please forgive any ignorance about the equipment and vehicles I saw. I knew they were fire engines because they were big and red, and I knew it was a fire station because there were some weights in the corner and a ping pong table. Beyond that, it was all new to find out.
Let’s start with a familiar theme in Gazan emergency services: shortages. After meeting with the Red Crescent and Department of Health, looking around a few dozen ambulances, an Emergency Department and interviewing a variety of health care workers, I’ve seen the same issues occurring endlessly. No equipment, limited or no drugs, no electricity, expensive fuel, training problems and unacceptable risk in times of conflict. The impact of each issue varies according to the service (for example, the electricity cuts are a huge problem for Al-Shifa hospital, whereas the fuel crisis has more of an impact on the emergency services) but the end result is the same – hamstrung services and an impossible situation for managers and workers.
I met with Yousef Khaled Zahar, the general manager of the Civil Defence, who broke down the issues facing his service while we drank sugary coffee. Firstly, the fire service vehicles are old and outdated – ‘every day the vehicles age’ as Zahar said. They are mostly from 1988/89, meaning their safety features are wildly outdated. Half of their fleet were destroyed during Cast Lead, with little chance of replacements reaching Gaza. Since then they have done some pretty unreal mechanical work to keep vehicles on the road despite the lack of spare parts. They have also converted some old Kamaz trucks into fire service vehicles – they have welded water tanks including internal baffles from scratch then installed them on the back, plus the water pumping mechanisms and other necessary machinery. Then it’s all been painted red.
It was astonishing to see the creativity and technical skills behind these vehicles, and the solutions that they’ve found with such limited resources. They’re far from ideal compared to a purpose-designed vehicle – the centre of gravity is dangerously high because of the position of the water tank – but they help to keep the ambulance service functioning. They were previously only used to resupply fire engines, but after some water pumps were found that could run off a spare drive shaft, they are now used as fire engines themselves. Additionally, the fire service had issues getting a steady supply of expensive foam for fighting fuel fires, so they designed their own foam that can be made locally for 10% of the cost. The workers in the fire service workshops and garages must be some of the most resourceful and creative engineers in the profession, and they seem deeply valued by their managers and the firefighters themselves.
As I mentioned earlier, fuel is a huge issue for the emergency services and especially the Civil Defence. The fire engines are amongst the biggest vehicles in Gaza, so restricted fuel supplies have a magnified impact. In the past, much of their fuel came through the tunnels from Egypt along with firefighting equipment, protective clothing, vehicle parts, medicines and medical disposables. Since they were destroyed last year, none of these things can get
through. Fuel costs are now the largest part of their budget – a massive issues considering that their staffing levels are at 40% of what is needed due to lack of money for wages. They’re looking into alternative fuels at present, but the current situation is dire.
After talking, Zahar took me around the Civil Defence centre, which is their administrative centre as well as an ambulance and fire station. We looked in on the medical clinic and dentist who provide cheap care for employees and their families. They offered me a dental check up while I was there – admitting to a load of tough firefighters that I was scared of dentists wasn’t my proudest moment.
To finish my visit I interviewed a Mohammed, a firefighter pushed forward by his colleagues as the one who liked to talk the most. Happily, the rest of his watch also came and sat with us and added alot to the conversation. Their hard-won camaraderie was strong and humbling to be around.
Mohammed has been a professional firefighter for four years, after previously working as a volunteer. He wanted to be a firefighter since he was a kid, a vocation fortified by growing up amid the volatility of Gaza. His favourite part of the job is when they reach a scene, enter and are able to rescue people. He described the feeling of rescuing children, and his family’s pride in his work. We talked about the relationships between firefighters, who work in a watch system similar to the UK. At this point others joined the conversation, describing each other as brothers and friends. They talk about how they enter a scene together and stay together in the risk, knowing that they can rescue each other and be rescued themselves. They have families who worry about the risks of their job but know they can’t prevent them from doing this work – but they also have a second family at work, and a second home on station.
Nearly every one of the ten or so people I talked with had been injured while working, including the general manager Yousef Khaled Zahar. Mohammed was seriously injured when he and other firefighters entered a family home after a drone attack to rescue the family. A secondary attack hit the house and the firefighters were caught in the explosion. He was left unconscious, and while he has recovered, his chest injuries mean that he is still missing ribs. He and other injured colleagues says the decision to return to work was not a difficult one – they knew the risk when they joined, and know they can die at any time. Firefighters who are not physically able to return to work are given desk jobs in the Ministry of the Interior.
The targeting of the emergency services in Gaza [PDF] has been systematic and brutal. During Cast Lead, Civil
Defence buildings were specifically targeted in airstrikes that caused $2.5m of damage. The station that I visited was occupied by tanks, forcing fire crews to continue responding from the street. Rows of bullet holes remain across the front of the station. Gazan infrastructure is repeatedly considered a valid target in Israeli airstrikes, including the emergency services. This is an intolerable situation, putting the lives of firefighters, rescuers and medics at risk while they work to preserve life.
I asked the firefighters I met yesterday if there was anything they’d like to add to our interview. Firstly one of them said ‘If we die here in our service, we will die in peace. This does not stop us working’. They then spoke together to ask that international emergency workers try to defend and protect them in the case of another war. They know that international law should protect them, but they also know from direct experience that in reality it does not. Yet they continue to work in what must be one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, motivated by the desire to rescue and protect their community. They need better vehicles, more staff, safer working conditions and better protective equipment to do their jobs. But most of all they need the protection they are entitled to as rescue workers, and they need our solidarity.
By Joe Catron
Yesterday I visited the Civil Defence Directorate, which provides the fire and rescue service in Gaza, as well as some emergency ambulances and marine rescue. These guys have a reputation as being fearless, as well as being the most vulnerable to attack during times of war. In the 2008-9 war, 13 Civil Defence workers were killed in the line of duty, with 31 injured. This includes medics killed in their ambulances by snipers and firefighters injured by secondary drone attacks while rescuing victims of the initial strikes. These risks are additional to jobs which are considered dangerous even in peaceful countries like the UK and USA.
I found out plenty about the Civil Defence’s ambulance service, including interviewing staff and looking around the ambulances and equipment stores, but I’m going to save that for a later post and just write about the firefighters. In the UK, the ambulance service and fire service are separate so please forgive any ignorance about the equipment and vehicles I saw. I knew they were fire engines because they were big and red, and I knew it was a fire station because there were some weights in the corner and a ping pong table. Beyond that, it was all new to find out.
Let’s start with a familiar theme in Gazan emergency services: shortages. After meeting with the Red Crescent and Department of Health, looking around a few dozen ambulances, an Emergency Department and interviewing a variety of health care workers, I’ve seen the same issues occurring endlessly. No equipment, limited or no drugs, no electricity, expensive fuel, training problems and unacceptable risk in times of conflict. The impact of each issue varies according to the service (for example, the electricity cuts are a huge problem for Al-Shifa hospital, whereas the fuel crisis has more of an impact on the emergency services) but the end result is the same – hamstrung services and an impossible situation for managers and workers.
I met with Yousef Khaled Zahar, the general manager of the Civil Defence, who broke down the issues facing his service while we drank sugary coffee. Firstly, the fire service vehicles are old and outdated – ‘every day the vehicles age’ as Zahar said. They are mostly from 1988/89, meaning their safety features are wildly outdated. Half of their fleet were destroyed during Cast Lead, with little chance of replacements reaching Gaza. Since then they have done some pretty unreal mechanical work to keep vehicles on the road despite the lack of spare parts. They have also converted some old Kamaz trucks into fire service vehicles – they have welded water tanks including internal baffles from scratch then installed them on the back, plus the water pumping mechanisms and other necessary machinery. Then it’s all been painted red.
It was astonishing to see the creativity and technical skills behind these vehicles, and the solutions that they’ve found with such limited resources. They’re far from ideal compared to a purpose-designed vehicle – the centre of gravity is dangerously high because of the position of the water tank – but they help to keep the ambulance service functioning. They were previously only used to resupply fire engines, but after some water pumps were found that could run off a spare drive shaft, they are now used as fire engines themselves. Additionally, the fire service had issues getting a steady supply of expensive foam for fighting fuel fires, so they designed their own foam that can be made locally for 10% of the cost. The workers in the fire service workshops and garages must be some of the most resourceful and creative engineers in the profession, and they seem deeply valued by their managers and the firefighters themselves.
As I mentioned earlier, fuel is a huge issue for the emergency services and especially the Civil Defence. The fire engines are amongst the biggest vehicles in Gaza, so restricted fuel supplies have a magnified impact. In the past, much of their fuel came through the tunnels from Egypt along with firefighting equipment, protective clothing, vehicle parts, medicines and medical disposables. Since they were destroyed last year, none of these things can get
through. Fuel costs are now the largest part of their budget – a massive issues considering that their staffing levels are at 40% of what is needed due to lack of money for wages. They’re looking into alternative fuels at present, but the current situation is dire.
After talking, Zahar took me around the Civil Defence centre, which is their administrative centre as well as an ambulance and fire station. We looked in on the medical clinic and dentist who provide cheap care for employees and their families. They offered me a dental check up while I was there – admitting to a load of tough firefighters that I was scared of dentists wasn’t my proudest moment.
To finish my visit I interviewed a Mohammed, a firefighter pushed forward by his colleagues as the one who liked to talk the most. Happily, the rest of his watch also came and sat with us and added alot to the conversation. Their hard-won camaraderie was strong and humbling to be around.
Mohammed has been a professional firefighter for four years, after previously working as a volunteer. He wanted to be a firefighter since he was a kid, a vocation fortified by growing up amid the volatility of Gaza. His favourite part of the job is when they reach a scene, enter and are able to rescue people. He described the feeling of rescuing children, and his family’s pride in his work. We talked about the relationships between firefighters, who work in a watch system similar to the UK. At this point others joined the conversation, describing each other as brothers and friends. They talk about how they enter a scene together and stay together in the risk, knowing that they can rescue each other and be rescued themselves. They have families who worry about the risks of their job but know they can’t prevent them from doing this work – but they also have a second family at work, and a second home on station.
Nearly every one of the ten or so people I talked with had been injured while working, including the general manager Yousef Khaled Zahar. Mohammed was seriously injured when he and other firefighters entered a family home after a drone attack to rescue the family. A secondary attack hit the house and the firefighters were caught in the explosion. He was left unconscious, and while he has recovered, his chest injuries mean that he is still missing ribs. He and other injured colleagues says the decision to return to work was not a difficult one – they knew the risk when they joined, and know they can die at any time. Firefighters who are not physically able to return to work are given desk jobs in the Ministry of the Interior.
The targeting of the emergency services in Gaza [PDF] has been systematic and brutal. During Cast Lead, Civil
Defence buildings were specifically targeted in airstrikes that caused $2.5m of damage. The station that I visited was occupied by tanks, forcing fire crews to continue responding from the street. Rows of bullet holes remain across the front of the station. Gazan infrastructure is repeatedly considered a valid target in Israeli airstrikes, including the emergency services. This is an intolerable situation, putting the lives of firefighters, rescuers and medics at risk while they work to preserve life.
I asked the firefighters I met yesterday if there was anything they’d like to add to our interview. Firstly one of them said ‘If we die here in our service, we will die in peace. This does not stop us working’. They then spoke together to ask that international emergency workers try to defend and protect them in the case of another war. They know that international law should protect them, but they also know from direct experience that in reality it does not. Yet they continue to work in what must be one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, motivated by the desire to rescue and protect their community. They need better vehicles, more staff, safer working conditions and better protective equipment to do their jobs. But most of all they need the protection they are entitled to as rescue workers, and they need our solidarity.
10 mar 2014
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Firefighters managed to control a blaze late Sunday in a popular market east of Nablus.
Director of Nablus fire department, Muhannad Asqalan, told Ma'an that a team was dispatched immediately after a blaze broke out in a market. Two stores were completely destroyed and three other stores sustained minor damage. Initial investigations suggest the fire was started intentionally using flammable liquids. |
22 feb 2014
A forest fire broke out near the southern West Bank village of Beit Kahil late Friday, locals told Ma'an.
Locals said fire fighters from the Palestinian civil defense department and the Hebron municipality worked to control the fire, which burned for several hours.
The fire spread quickly through dry trees and weeds, residents said.
A number of residents provided assistance to the fire fighters, who managed to put out the fire after nearly four hours, locals added.
No injuries or damages were reported.
Locals said fire fighters from the Palestinian civil defense department and the Hebron municipality worked to control the fire, which burned for several hours.
The fire spread quickly through dry trees and weeds, residents said.
A number of residents provided assistance to the fire fighters, who managed to put out the fire after nearly four hours, locals added.
No injuries or damages were reported.