Nablus, I don't hear you !


Ram, occupied Palestine - "Hi, I just received a message from Nablus that five hundred Palestinians are besieged in the old city of Nablus, could you confirm this? We have a telephone number, but we know that the telephone lines have been cut and that even people cannot be reached on their mobile phones. We are afraid that a massacre is going to take place."

"Arjan, I tried to call Nablus but we couldn't get through", says a colleague, adding "try the ICRC!".

"Sorry, we have three ambulances that have been shot at today, making them out of service. Two ambulances got warning shots and returned. We cannot give you a full overview of what is happening in Nablus."

"Arjan, they continued shelling Jenin refugee camp, with missiles, you know how crowded the camp is. This is unprecedented."

I haven't slept last night, worrying sick about what is happening. Last night, I heard the sounds of an Apache helicopter firing machine gunfire. I recognize the sound, because last night I saw on television an Apache helicopter firing machine gunfire at the old city of Nablus (see picture, Goran Tomasevic/Reuters). I am waiting now for the results of a hearing at the High Court, where lawyers from the office have filed a petition to let ambulances evacuate wounded and dead bodies in Nablus. The hearing is still ongoing.