Palestinian infant dies after Israeli checkpoint delay, officials say
Palestinian officials said the four-month-old died after soldiers delayed his transfer for urgent treatment near Ramallah.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
A four-month-old Palestinian boy died after Israeli soldiers held up his transfer for emergency treatment at a checkpoint west of Ramallah, Palestinian officials said. The case renewed complaints from local authorities that Israeli movement restrictions in the occupied West Bank are obstructing access to medical care.
Ramallah and el-Bireh Governor Laila Ghannam said doctors at the Arab Specialised Hospital confirmed the death of Ahmad Marouf Zeid on Sunday evening. In a Facebook post, Ghannam said Israeli forces prevented the infant from reaching the hospital for more than an hour despite his critical condition.
Ghannam said the delay happened at a checkpoint near the entrance to Deir Ammar, a village west of Ramallah. She said Israeli soldiers used tear gas against Palestinians who tried to get through the checkpoint.
The governor described Ahmad as his family’s only son and accused Israel of imposing a policy that restricts Palestinians’ movement and access to healthcare. She said such restrictions violate basic rights.
Elsewhere near Ramallah on Sunday, Israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy at the Qalandiya refugee camp, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The ministry said two other boys, both 14, were wounded in the same incident.
The West Bank has seen rising violence since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, according to Palestinian officials cited by Al Jazeera and Reuters. The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 1,087 Palestinians in the West Bank since then.
In Gaza, health officials said an Israeli drone strike hit a crowd of Palestinians on Omar al-Mukhtar Street in central Gaza City on Sunday. The officials said at least two people were killed and several others were injured.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said Israeli violations of the ceasefire with Hamas, which took effect in October, have killed 1,066 people and wounded 3,445 others. The ministry said the latest deaths raised the Gaza death toll since October 2023 to 73,090, with 173,550 people injured.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.