Four-month-old dies at Israeli gate west of Ramallah

Four-month-old Ahmed Marouf Zaid died yesterday after Israeli soldiers refused to open a gate blocking the main entrance to his village west of Ramallah, delaying his access to urgent medical care. An ambulance was waiting on the other side.

"Last month, 7-month-old Sam Abu Haykal was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint. Yesterday, a critically ill 4-month-old was forced to wait for urgent medical care just steps from an ambulance. Both deaths are senseless, and both are emblematic of an occupying power continuing to show utter disregard for the humanity and rights of Palestinians living under occupation," said Ajith Sunghay, Head of UN Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

According to OCHA, road gates like the one closed to Ahmed’s family make up 41% of the 925 Israeli movement obstacles that permanently or intermittently restrict the movement of 3.4 million Palestinians across the occupied West Bank.