Current Events • Israeli Media • Terror Against Israel

December 22, 2003
New trends in the Palestinian TERROR- the use of ambulances and medical material for terror

Since September 2000 the security forces are witnessing the cynical use by terror organizations of the Palestinian medical resources in general and of ambulances in particular, assuming they are 'immune' to security checks at checkpoints.

The use by the terrorist organizations of medical resources, particularly ambulances, in order to bypass the searches and security checks in IDF checkpoints emphasizes the need for a security check of medical vehicles. Such searches are conducted in order to ensure that ambulances are not used by terrorists in an attempt to transport terrorists, weaponry and explosive devices.

One of the most prominent incidents is the suicide bombing attack on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem on January 27, 2002, in which an Israeli civilian was killed and over 100 were injured. The suicide bombing was carried out by Waffa Idris, a resident of the Amari refugee camp near Ramallah. Idris acted as a medical secretary in the Palestinian Red Crescent. Following an investigation by security forces, it appears that the suicide bombers was dispatched to carry out the attack by Muhamad Hababa, a resident of the village of Beit Iksa near Ramallah, a Tanzim operative and an ambulance driver of the Palestinian Red Crescent. An additional associate to the terror attack was Munzar Nur, a resident of Anabta, near Tulkarm, which worked for the Palestinian Red Crescent as well.

Incidents in which ambulances were used for terrorist activities:

On March 27, 2002 IDF forces arrested Islam Jibril, a Tanzim operative at a checkpoint near Ramallah. Jibril, born 1971, a resident of the Balata refugee camp in Nablus, and worked as an ambulance driver in the Palestinian Red Crescent. Jibril was arrested while driving a Red Crescent ambulance containing an explosive belt and explosive devices. During his investigation Jiblril confessed that the bombs were handed to him in Nablus by Mahmud Titi, a senior Tanzim operative in the Samaria area who was killed by security forces. The explosive belt was hidden underneath a stretch carrying a sick Palestinian boy aside his family members.
Following an investigation it appears that during March 2002 several Palestinian terrorists in Ramallah were using ambulances in order to move from once spot to another. The terrorists were wearing medical uniforms and some of them used city hospitals as a hiding place.
On October 2001 Israeli security forces arrested Nidal Nazal, resident of Qalkilya, a Hamas terrorist and the brother of Nasser Nazal - a senior Hamas terrorist in the city. Nidal worked as an ambulance driver for the Palestinian Red Crescent. In his investigation Nidal confessed to the transfer of weaponry for terrorists and using his freedom of passage granted to him due to the fact that he was an ambulance driver. Furthermore, Nidal used this privilege in order to act as a messenger of Hamas HQ in different Palestinian cities.
In a document seized during operation 'Defensive Shield', it was noted that there were weapons concealed in the floor on an ambulance. In an another document it is noted that the Palestinian general intelligence service used an ambulance to transfer a suspect from Husan to Bethlehem.

Email Article

Current Events • Israeli Media • Terror Against Israel