#SheikhJarrah - again the hotspot for disturbances and tensions caused by the heightened risk of forcible transfer and supplanting of its #Palestinian inhabitants with #Israeli settlers- has been at the epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since its inception.
#SheikhJarrah is also the place where international humanitarian law #IHL saw a major development in relation to the protection of medical personnel and transports and the role played by the @ICRC and national Red Cross and Crescent Societies @ifrc:
On April 9, 1948, when militants from the Zionist paramilitary groups Irgun and Lehi killed an estimated number of 250 Palestinians, including women and children, in #DeirYassin, a village of roughly 600 people near #Jerusalem. 
On April 13, 1948, in #SheikhJarrah, a convoy, escorted by Hagenah militia, bringing medical and military supplies and personnel to Hadassah Hospital, was ambushed by Palestinian forces. 78 Jewish doctors, nurses, patients, and Haganah militants were killed in the attack.
On that same day, the Jewish Agency requested that the @ICRC intervene over what they called a grave Arab violation of the Geneva conventions. An inquiry conducted found that the convoy had been relieving the armed unit at the Hadassah hospital and furnishing the troops with ammo
The @ICRC position was that medical units must move around unarmed and always separately from combat units. One had a choice between having recourse to armed protection, the protection of the Geneva Conventions, and the #RedCross emblem.
The following day, the @ICRC led a small column of vehicles under a Red Cross emblem while the following cars displayed the Red Star of David. The convoy passed without interruption, leading both sides to order that military operations be separated from medical assistance.
The place of attack in #SheikhJarrah lies between the present-day offices of the @ICRC_ilot and the @UKinJerusalem Consulate. Across the road, demolition and forcible transfer of Palestinians took place a few weeks ago, underscoring that now like then, respect for #IHL is key.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
