On 16 June 2019, ‘Imad Abu Shamsiyeh – a resident of the Palestinian
neighborhood of Tel Rumeidah in Hebron – suffered a sunstroke. In the
middle of the night, his wife called an ambulance for him but the
Israeli military would not allow it into the neighborhood. After a
lengthy delay, the EMT staff decided to evacuate Abu Shamsiyeh on foot, a
task accomplished only after further argument with the soldiers. This
case demonstrates contempt for the health of a patient in need of urgent
medical care and clearly illustrates the extent to which Israel
controls all aspects of Palestinians’ lives in Hebron. It shows how, for
Palestinians, even the most commonplace tasks involve difficulties and
uncertainty and, above all, no control over the situation.