Palestinian woman gives birth at checkpoint: Baby dies

Source: Sr Mary

Fatima Nasser Abed Rabbo gave birth at an Israeli military checkpoint in al Walaja village, near Bethlehem, on Monday. Fatima and her husband, Nasser Abed Rabbo, were trying to reach the hospital in Bethlehem on Monday morning. Soldiers at military checkpoints twice refused to allow them to pass, saying that Fatimas condition was not critical. After trying for about one hour to pass the checkpoints, Fatima gave birth to her son, Walid, in the car. Fatima was only seven months pregnant, as a premature baby, Walid required urgent medical treatment. The family reached the Holy Family (French) hospital in Bethlehem one and a half hours after he was born. Walid weighed 1417 grams, and his temperature was extremely low on arrival. He died that afternoon; it is likely he would have lived had he received immediate care. Fatima is the seventh Palestinian woman to have been forced to give birth at Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank.The denial of access to health care is a direct violation of international law, (article 17, IV Geneva Convention), which expressly protects the rights of expectant mothers, the sick and injured.