By Mohammad Abu Fayyad

KHAN YOUNES, June 2, 2018 (WAFA) – Razan Ashraf Najjar, 21, a volunteering paramedic and nurse, was the last victim in a series of human rights violations committed by the Israeli forces in the occupied Palestinian territories and in the Gaza Strip in particular.

According to witnesses, Razan was 100 meters away from the Gaza-Israel border fence providing first aid to the wounded protesters when all of a sudden she was targeted by an Israeli sniper’s gunfire despite wearing a clearly visible white coat typical of her humanitarian profession. She was seriously hit by a bullet in her back that penetrated her heart, before she died of her wounds a couple of minutes later.

Rasha Abdul-Rahman Qdeih, a fellow paramedic, was joining Razan in her task near the border. She told WAFA that Razan and her were moving towards the border fence where many protesters had been injured, and they were aiming to provide the injured with first aid. Qdieh said five Israeli military vehicles appeared on the Israeli side of the fence and two Israeli soldiers were seen getting off and pointing their rifles towards us.

“I cried to my fellows to take caution as we came under firing from the Israeli soldiers. Still, we were able to evacuate the injured to a safe haven,” says Qdeih, adding: “After we were done with our mission, we started moving back and we were about 20 meters away from the border fence … at this point, we came under a barrage of gunfire.”

She said as a result of the firing, Razan was directly and seriously injured in her chest, while fellow paramedic Rami Abu Jazar was injured by shrapnel in his left thigh bone and hand. Another paramedic, Mahmoud Abdul-Ati, was also injured. Razan died of her wounds only moments after arriving in hospital.

Another witness, Ibrahim Najjar, said Razan was aiming to provide first aid to an elderly who was among the injured protesters near the border, although she was working hardly as a result of the Israeli teargas.

Najjar continued, “Razan was wearing her white coat which had medical signs when, after moving back from the border, her fellows and her came under gunfire by the Israeli soldiers stationed at the other side of the fence. A bullet hit Razan in her back. I carried her until I reached an ambulance and she was still alive. I accompanied her to hospital on ambulance, minutes before she died.”

Dr. Salaheddin Rantisi, director of the field hospital where Razan was moved, said Razan arrived in hospital in a critical condition. He said the doctors there administered an air tube through her trachea to help her breathe. “Unfortunately, Razan was suffering from internal and not external bleeding, specifically in the chest area because the bullet appeared to have hit the main artery in the heart,” he added.

M.N