Man fires pistol in Jenin hospital, demanding care in Israel

Security camera captures man shooting, others overturning furniture, to protest refusal to transfer injured family member

Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter

A patient's relative draws a gun in the emergency department of a Jenin hospital, August 1, 2017. (Screenshot)
A patient's relative draws a gun in the emergency department of a Jenin hospital, August 1, 2017. (Screenshot)

A man fired a pistol in the emergency ward of a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin after he was told that his injured relative could not be moved to an Israeli hospital for treatment.

The incident was caught on security cameras and posted on Facebook by a Jenin news site. The footage also shows a second man throwing a chair at one of the medical staff behind the counter, and other men turning the counter over.

Doctors at the al-Razi Hospital could not transfer the patient — a Palestinian traffic policeman injured in a motorbike accident, according to Israel Radio — because it did not have the authority to decide on the transfer.

While the incident did not appear to result in any serious injury, it highlights the gap between the level of medical care available in the West Bank and that offered in Israeli hospitals.

The prevalence of weapons in Palestinian areas has been an ongoing source of concern for Israel as well as the Palestinian Authority.

Earlier this month, an Israeli military official said that security forces had seized dozens of weapons, shuttered arms-making factories and arrested weapons dealers in a crackdown in the West Bank meant to quell an ongoing spate of Palestinian violence.

https://www.facebook.com/Jeninws/videos/1375182692601345/

Most Popular
read more:
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.