The delay of an Israeli checkpoint for a Palestinian Civil Defense fire truck killed three children from the Al-Rajabi family when a fire broke out at their home in the southern West Bank city of Hebron five months ago.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said that the lives of Wael (4 years), Wadih (2.5 years) and Malik (one and a half years) could have been saved, but life in Hebron was futile."
"Palestinian firefighters who were on their way to put out the fire, which broke out at the Al-Rajabi family home five months ago, were stopped for several minutes at an Israeli checkpoint and could not save the children."
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel indicated that it had requested a response from the Israeli army to the incident, but its request was ignored.
"The policy of apartheid in Hebron, which severely violates the fundamental rights of the city´s Palestinian residents, has resulted in the loss of the lives of three young children," the rights group said.
"There is no justification for delaying rescue vehicles, and it cannot be." The association considered that the israeli army´s security concept in Hebron not only ignores the needs and rights of the Palestinian population, but also "does not give any importance to their lives."
The Al-Rajabi family home is located in the Old City of Hebron, which is under Israeli security and Palestinian civilian control.
Israeli barriers are scattered around the town, which is home to more than 40,000 Palestinians, and about 1,000 Israeli settlers.
