Palestinian Baby Dies as Israeli Forces Block Ambulance at Checkpoint

In the occupied West Bank, a 4-month-old Palestinian baby died after Israeli forces blocked his evacuation to receive emergency medical care. The family of Ahmad Marouf Zeid had reportedly called the Palestinian Red Crescent, which sent an ambulance to the entrance of Deir Ammar refugee camp, where the family resides, but Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint prevented the baby’s transfer to a hospital for more than an hour. Haaretz reports the main entrance to the village has been closed since January, shutting down the only direct route to and from Ramallah. The Palestinian Red Crescent says Israeli soldiers stationed there routinely block residents from passing through. Israeli forces also shot dead a 16-year-old boy from the Qalandiya refugee camp, near Ramallah, in a raid Sunday. During the same raid, security camera video footage shows an Israeli soldier throwing a stun grenade into a car carrying Palestinians, before appearing to force the door shut as it detonated. www.democracynow.org