<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<div class="container font-size5 content-width3">
<div class="header reader-header" style="display: block;"
dir="ltr"> <font size="-2"><a class="domain reader-domain"
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/listen-clearly-marked-gaza-medics-shot-israeli-snipers">https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/listen-clearly-marked-gaza-medics-shot-israeli-snipers</a></font>
<h1 class="reader-title">"Clearly marked" Gaza medics shot by
Israeli snipers</h1>
<div class="meta-data">
<div class="reader-estimated-time" dir="ltr"
style="text-align: left;">
<p class="node__submitted">
<span class="field field-author"><a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/people/nora-barrows-friedman">Nora
Barrows-Friedman</a></span> <span class="field
field-blog">-</span>
<span class="field field-publication-date"><span
class="date-display-single"
content="2018-05-17T20:33:39+00:00">17 May 2018</span></span>
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<hr>
<div class="content">
<div class="moz-reader-content line-height4" dir="ltr"
style="display: block;">
<div id="readability-page-1" class="page">
<div>
<article>
<p>“We could see very quickly that the Israelis were
going to shoot a lot of people,” <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/tarek-loubani">Tarek
Loubani</a>, a Palestinian Canadian emergency
physician who treated patients in Gaza on 14 May, told
The Electronic Intifada Podcast.</p>
<p>As Israeli forces began to shoot into the crowds, the
number of Palestinians wounded in their limbs climbed.
Loubani said that his paramedic team “ran out of our
supply of tourniquets really early in the morning. All
we had left were eight of them.”</p>
<p>After he retrieved more tourniquets and returned to
distribute them to paramedics, he said there was a
lull around him: “No burning tires, no smoke, no tear
gas, nobody messing around in front of the buffer
zone. Just a clearly marked medical team well away
from everybody else.”</p>
<p>“And unfortunately that’s when I got shot.”</p>
<p>An Israeli sniper <a
href="https://medium.com/@trklou/3d-printed-tourniquet-day-2-of-gaza-field-trials-ends-badly-may-14-970b3f291e7">shot
him with a bullet that penetrated both legs</a>, as
he stood near Gaza’s eastern perimeter during the <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/great-march-return">Great
March of Return</a> protests.</p>
<p>He was one of 18 paramedics who were shot and injured
on that day alone, <a
href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canadian-doctor-shot-by-israeli-sniper-near-gaza-border/">according</a>
to reports.</p>
<p>One of them, Mousa Jaber Abu Hassanein, <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/israel-slaughters-palestinians-marching-return">was
killed</a>. Abu Hassanein and Loubani were part of
the same medical team working in the field.</p>
<p><a
href="https://www.facebook.com/t.loubani/posts/391503431363417">According</a>
to Loubani, four members of his team, including
himself and Abu Hassanein, were shot that day – mostly
in the lower limbs.</p>
<p>Loubani was wearing hospital scrubs and Abu Hassanein
and the others were wearing orange vests, clearly
identifying them as a medics.</p>
<p>They were working as part of a team stationed in an
area about 25 meters from the perimeter fence, Loubani
said.</p>
<p>“We huddled there because we knew we would otherwise
get in the crossfire” of the Israeli snipers, he
added.</p>
<p>But he was shot. Loubani said that it was “very hard
to believe that the sniper didn’t know who he was
targeting.”</p>
<h2>Low medical supplies</h2>
<p>Loubani has been working with Gaza-based physicians
and designers to <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/listen-solar-panels-gaza-hospitals-aim-ease-healthcare-disaster">mitigate</a>
the overwhelming lack of basic medical supplies and
electricity to operate hospitals and treat patients,
as Israel and Egypt continue the 11-year blockade.</p>
<p>He was in Gaza to join medical teams and <a
href="https://medium.com/@trklou/3d-printed-tourniquet-day-2-of-gaza-field-trials-ends-badly-may-14-970b3f291e7">test
tourniquets</a> that he helped <a
href="https://github.com/gliax">design</a> using <a
href="https://medium.com/@trklou/3d-printed-open-source-tourniquet-rationale-failure-analysis-and-proposed-next-steps-of-the-glia-97e8441b4c5a">open-source
technology</a> and 3D printers.</p>
<p>Gaza’s health ministry <a
href="https://www.facebook.com/Ashraf.ability/posts/977743679069895">reported</a>
that 62 Palestinians had been killed and almost 3,200
injured by Israeli forces in the territory on 14 May,
as Israeli forces opened fire on tens of thousands of
Palestinians during the Great March of Return.</p>
<p>As of 15 May, more than 100 Palestinians, including
12 children, two journalists and paramedic Abu
Hassanein <a
href="https://www.ochaopt.org/content/sharp-decline-casualties-during-demonstrations-gaza-mourns-yesterday-s-massive-loss-life-and">had
been killed</a> during the protests, which have been
held near Gaza’s eastern boundary since 30 March.</p>
<p>Abu Hassanein had rescued Loubani and treated his
bullet wound.</p>
<p>About an hour later, the Israeli army shot Abu
Hassanein in the chest <a
href="http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-tuesday-edition-1.4663685/canadian-shot-in-gaza-says-he-was-clearly-marked-as-a-doctor-1.4663689">while
he tried to attend</a> to a wounded protester.</p>
<p>Loubani believes that if he hadn’t been incapacitated
by that sniper’s bullet to his own legs, he could have
treated his friend and possibly saved his life.</p>
<p>“When he went down, all the paramedics hit the deck.
And they were able to get to cover behind a rock but
they couldn’t get him to cover until things calmed
down, which took about 20 minutes” – which was too
late, Loubani explained.</p>
<p>“He had kids. He was a good paramedic. He was a solid
rescuer,” Loubani said.</p>
<p>Abu Hassanein died of a treatable condition – tension
pneumothorax, a collapsed lung due to the injury,
Loubani explained. “I could have fixed it with a Bic
pen.”</p>
<figure id="file-62521"><source media="(min-width:
72rem)"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
<p>More than 12,600 Palestinians have been injured
during the seven weeks of protests, most of them
requiring hospitalization.</p>
<p>More than 200 paramedics and health workers have been
injured while providing treatment to wounded people
during the mass demonstrations, <a
href="https://www.ochaopt.org/content/sharp-decline-casualties-during-demonstrations-gaza-mourns-yesterday-s-massive-loss-life-and">reports</a>
the United Nations. Thirty-two ambulances were also
damaged.</p>
<p>One soldier has been <a
href="https://www.ochaopt.org/content/fifty-five-palestinians-killed-and-thousands-injured-gaza">reported</a>
lightly wounded – the only Israeli casualty during the
protests.</p>
<h2>“Creaking to its breaking point”</h2>
<p>Loubani told The Electronic Intifada Podcast that he
received only light treatment for his bullet wound due
to the staggering number of injured people needing
emergency medical care in the hospital.</p>
<p>Adding to the pressure of physicians trying to triage
the thousands of patients, massive shortages of
electricity, supplies and medications have made the <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/gaza-hospitals-shut-down-deadly-siege-tightens">situation
inside Gaza’s hospitals</a> intolerable, Loubani
said.</p>
<p>Due to the <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/charlotte-silver/gazas-electricity-supply-hits-all-time-low">regular
electricity outages</a>, ice – a basic requirement
to help treat and heal wounds in a triage situation –
is nearly unavailable.</p>
<p>“The Palestinians definitely have the right to
healthcare that’s being denied through this
essentially enforced embargo on medical supplies and
medical personnel,” Loubani said.</p>
<p>He explained that he has been able to take only
over-the-counter painkillers he brought from Canada to
treat his pain, since there are little to no analgesic
medications available in Gaza.</p>
<p>“Usually, there’s a list of about 50 percent of
essential medications stock that is unavailable. But
now, that’s at almost 100 percent,” he said.</p>
<p>Everything is in short supply, he said, because even
well-designed, well-funded medical systems don’t have
the resources to deal with the enormous amount of
gunshot victims in one day.</p>
<p>“That’s not something anyone can deal with, let alone
a place that’s already creaking to its breaking
point,” he said.</p>
<h2>Tepid response from Canadian prime minister</h2>
<p>Meanwhile, Loubani’s elected representatives back in
Canada have issued some responses to Israel’s attacks.</p>
<p>Canada’s center-left New Democratic Party leader <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/jagmeet-singh">Jagmeet Singh</a>
tweeted Tuesday that he was “outraged” that Loubani
was shot by Israeli soldiers.</p>
<p>“Glad he is recovering but how can [Prime Minister]
Justin Trudeau remain silent on such indiscriminate
violence?” Singh added.</p>
<div id="file-62581">
<div>
<blockquote data-width="550">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Outraged to learn that
Canadian doctor and humanitarian, Tarek Loubani,
was shot in Gaza yesterday by IDF soldiers,
while providing medical assistance. Glad he is
recovering but how can <a
href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustinTrudeau</a>
remain silent on such indiscriminate violence?</p>
— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) <a
href="https://twitter.com/theJagmeetSingh/status/996491478531702784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May
15, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<div id="file-62586">
<div>
<blockquote data-width="550">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here's <a
href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustinTrudeau</a>
forced to answer a Q on <a
href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gaza?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gaza</a>:
says his concern today is with the victims of
the “terrible violence”, calls for
"de-escalation" of violence in the region, the
only way forward is negotiations.</p>
<p>Real question: who does he think caused the
violence? <a
href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cdnpoli</a>
<a href="https://t.co/RkNXzmrCAD">pic.twitter.com/RkNXzmrCAD</a></p>
— Michael Bueckert 🌹 (@mbueckert) <a
href="https://twitter.com/mbueckert/status/996549597064556544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May
16, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>This week, the NDP itself condemned Israel’s “clear
violations of international law and human rights” and
<a
href="http://www.ndp.ca/news/ndp-condemns-killings-gaza">called</a>
on Israel to end the occupation of Palestinians.</p>
<p>The party’s youth wing went a step further, <a
href="https://twitter.com/ynd_jnd/status/996469657493270528">urging
the Canadian government</a> to apply political and
economic sanctions and stop arms sales to Israel.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/justin-trudeau">Trudeau</a>,
a <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/content/thought-crimes-trudeaus-canada/15926">strong
ally</a> of Israel, <a
href="https://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2018/05/16/statement-prime-minister-violence-gaza-strip">published
a statement</a> saying that Canada “deplores and is
gravely concerned by the violence in the Gaza Strip” –
without mentioning who, exactly, has been perpetrating
it.</p>
<p>He added that the government is “appalled” that
Loubani is among the wounded.</p>
<p>Trudeau called for an “immediate investigation to
thoroughly examine the facts on the ground” and said
the government is “engaging with Israeli officials to
get to the bottom of these events” but stopped short
of any sharp condemnation of Israel’s killing and
maiming of unarmed protesters.</p>
<p>Canada’s foreign minister Chrystia Freeland tweeted
on Wednesday that they government is “doing everything
we can to help [Loubani], as well as determine how a
Canadian was injured.”</p>
<div id="file-62591">
<div>
<blockquote data-width="550">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you, Dr. Tarek
Loubani, for taking the time to speak to me this
morning. Dr. Loubani was injured Monday in the
Gaza Strip. We are doing everything we can to
help him, as well as determine how a Canadian
was injured. <a
href="https://twitter.com/trklou?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trklou</a></p>
— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) <a
href="https://twitter.com/cafreeland/status/996806631580225537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May
16, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<div id="file-62596">
<div>
<blockquote data-width="550">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Anyone who’s read reports
from <a
href="https://twitter.com/MedicalAidPal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MedicalAidPal</a>
<a
href="https://twitter.com/MSF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MSF</a>
<a
href="https://twitter.com/amnesty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amnesty</a>
<a
href="https://twitter.com/hrw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hrw</a>
<a
href="https://twitter.com/alhaq_org?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@alhaq_org</a>
<a
href="https://twitter.com/AlMezanCenter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlMezanCenter</a>
<a
href="https://twitter.com/btselem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@btselem</a>
knows that evidence of Israeli war crimes in
Gaza is overwhelming. So call for international
investigation that won’t happen just becomes
another way to shield Israel from blame.</p>
— Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) <a
href="https://twitter.com/AliAbunimah/status/997080852562694144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May
17, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>Activists criticized the Canadian government’s
diluted responses as well as the Israel lobby’s
defense of Israel’s violence:</p>
<div id="file-62601">
<div>
<blockquote data-width="550">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Boy, is Chrystia going to
be shocked when she finds out</p>
— Michael Bueckert 🌹 (@mbueckert) <a
href="https://twitter.com/mbueckert/status/996823398306275329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May
16, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<div id="file-62606">
<div>
<blockquote data-width="550">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">He wasn’t “injured” he was
shot by Israeli army snipers, along with 1,300
Palestinians. A Canadian was injured because
Israeli snipers shot him. Seriously, this is not
difficult stuff.</p>
— PSN Edmonton (@psnedmonton) <a
href="https://twitter.com/psnedmonton/status/996824627098763264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May
16, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<div id="file-62611">
<div>
<blockquote data-width="550">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Curious to hear <a
href="https://twitter.com/ADL_National?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ADL_National</a>
explain how Hamas made Israeli snipers shoot a
Canadian doctor <a
href="https://t.co/Y5gSWvjGLf">https://t.co/Y5gSWvjGLf</a></p>
— IfNotNow🔥 (@IfNotNowOrg) <a
href="https://twitter.com/IfNotNowOrg/status/996512531517669376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May
15, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>In 2013, Loubani <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/30-percent-vital-medicines-zero-supply-gaza-says-released-doctor-tarek">was
imprisoned</a> in Egypt for nearly two months along
with filmmaker and activist <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/john-greyson">John
Greyson</a>.</p>
<p>They were arrested after filming and treating
patients shot by Egyptian authorities, who killed
hundreds and injured thousands of people during a
protest against the army’s coup against President <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/mohammed-morsi">Mohammed Morsi</a>.</p>
<p>Listen to the interview with Tarek Loubani via the
media player above.</p>
<p><em>Theme music and production assistance by Sharif
Zakout</em></p>
<p><em>Subscribe to The Electronic Intifada Podcast on
Apple Podcasts (search for The Electronic Intifada).
Support our podcast by rating us, sharing and
leaving a review.</em></p>
<br>
</article>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863.9977
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://freedomarchives.org/">https://freedomarchives.org/</a>
</div>
</body>
</html>