Israeli Air strike in Gaza Destroys Medical Relief Head Office, Kills
Baby

Ramallah, 28/02/2008. An Israeli airstrike aimed at the ministry of
interior building in Gaza City also destroyed the nearby Palestinian
Medical Relief Society (PMRS) head office in Gaza and killed a
5-month-old baby in a residential building in the same area.

The PMRS head office was housing the main PMRS clinic in the Gaza
Strip, the main pharmacy, an ambulance, a loan centre for handicapped
people and all the administrative offices. The ambulance, all the
medicine and most of the equipment have been destroyed. The building
itself is badly damaged and cannot be used again without extensive
repairs.

The attack also hit a nearby residential building, killing Mohamad
Nasser Al-Borey, 5 months, in his family home.

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi MP, president of PMRS, declared “the collective
punishment of Palestinians in Gaza has reached unbearable levels. This
latest attack destroyed a key part of the already badly hit Gazan
health system. Israel has lost all sense of humanity, and the silence
of the international community enables its murderous escalation against
a people imprisoned in a giant jail. These relentless violations of
international law must be put to an end. It is a war crime under the
Geneva Convention to target medical personnel. Regional organisations
and individual States have to take actions to protect the Palestinian
people from Israel. This must stop, now”.

Dr. Abdel Hadi Abu Khussa, director of PMRS in the Gaza Strip, declared
that “the destruction of the main clinic, pharmacy, office and one
ambulance are a terrible blow to PMRS activities and will increase the
suffering of the people of Gaza. We are victims of Israeli collective
punishment”.

Background: PMRS’ Work in the Gaza Strip

PMRS is one of the largest non-governmental health service providers in
Palestine, reaching 1.4 million Palestinians in over 490 cities, towns
and villages in 2007. This was achieved through the extensive physical
and human network built in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
in the 29 years since PMRS was established.

In Gaza, PMRS maintains four primary healthcare centres, two ambulances
and two mobile clinics as well as an effective program to help people
with disabilities, especially children. PMRS also runs an Individual
Relief program for patients in need and a centre providing
physiotherapy and assistive equipment to the disabled.

In response to the complete Israeli blockade of Gaza since January
2008, PMRS had declared a status of emergency and was stepping up its
emergency program to support the needs of the people of Gaza.