Ramallah: A four-month-old Palestinian infant, Ahmad Marouf Zeid, died on Sunday evening after Israeli occupation forces blocked his urgent medical transfer through a military checkpoint at the entrance to the village of Deir Ammar, west of Ramallah.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency, Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governor Laila Ghannam, doctors at the Arab Specialized Hospital confirmed the death of the infant after Israeli occupation forces prevented him from passing through the Deir Ammar checkpoint despite his critical medical condition that required urgent transfer for treatment.
In a post on her Facebook page, Ghannam stated that Zeid was on his way to receive medical treatment but was stopped by Israeli occupation soldiers. Despite his critical condition, the soldiers did not allow passage to the hospital. Ghannam further reported that the soldiers fired tear gas canisters at residents and vehicles, causing delays that deprived the child of timely medical care, ultimately leading to his death.
Ghannam described the incident as "a stain on the conscience of humanity," emphasizing that Ahmad was the family's only son, born after years of waiting. She expressed that this tragic event is part of what she described as an Israeli policy aimed at obstructing the movement of civilians, patients, and ambulances through the use of military checkpoints, gates, and closures. This policy, she argued, violates fundamental rights, including the right to life, freedom of movement, and access to medical care.