Electronic Intifada – Israeli occupation forces shot dead a volunteer medic and injured dozens of people as they continued their indiscriminate attacks on Palestinians taking part in Great March of Return protests in Gaza for the 10th consecutive Friday.
Razan Ashraf Abdul Qadir al-Najjar, 21, was helping treat and evacuate wounded protesters east of Khan Younis when she was fatally shot in the back on Friday evening.
She was about 100 meters away from the boundary fence with Israel at the moment she was shot and was wearing clothing clearly identifying her as a medic, the human rights group Al Mezan stated, citing eyewitnesses.
Al-Najjar had become known for her bravery and insistence on carrying out her medical rescue work despite the obvious danger.
She had previously been injured by tear gas inhalation, and on 13 April broke her wrist while running to attend to a wounded person. But al-Najjar refused to go to the hospital that day and continued working in the field.
“Its my duty and responsibility to be there and aid those injured,” she told Al Jazeera.
She also bore witness to the final moments of some of those fatally wounded before her.
“It breaks my heart that some of the young men who were injured or killed made their wills in front of me,” she told Al Jazeera. “Some even gave me their accessories [as gifts] before they died.”
Al-Najjar spoke about her work in an earlier TV interview that was shared widely on social media following the news of her death:
But attempts to hold Israel accountable continue amid the intransigent opposition of Israels backers.
On Friday evening, the UN Security Council voted on a draft resolution put forward by Kuwait, deploring “excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force by the Israeli forces” and calling for “measures to guarantee the safety and protection” of Palestinian civilians.
It also called for an end to the blockade of Gaza and deplored “the firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip against Israeli civilian areas.”
Ten countries, including permanent members Russia and France, voted in favor. Four, including Britain, abstained.
Despite having enough votes to pass, the resolution was killed by US ambassador Nikki Haley, who – as she had promised to do – cast her countrys veto.
Haley then put forward her own draft resolution absolving Israel of any responsibility for the violence in Gaza and laying all blame for the situation on Hamas.
The United States was the only country to vote in favor.
This article has been updated since first publication.
Source: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/gaza-medic-killed-israel-was-shot-back
