Key facts
- A Palestinian mother, Rana, lost her six-month-old fetus due to critical delays caused by an Israeli military lockdown.
- The ambulance transporting Rana to the hospital was held for 45 minutes at the Awarta checkpoint.
- During the delay, soldiers reportedly ordered the ambulance to switch off its siren and engine, and pointed weapons at the nurse.
- Rana experienced severe bleeding and lost consciousness before reaching the hospital, where her baby was pronounced dead.
- The Israeli army has been obstructing ambulances around Nablus, impacting various medical emergencies.
A Palestinian mother, Rana, lost her unborn child after an Israeli army lockdown in the occupied West Bank caused critical delays for an ambulance. Rana, six months pregnant, experienced premature labor and severe pain. The ambulance transporting her to Rafidia Surgical Hospital in Nablus was forced to take a lengthy detour and was held for 45 minutes at the Awarta checkpoint.
During the delay, soldiers reportedly shouted at the ambulance driver, ordered the siren and lights switched off, and pointed weapons at the nurse, Sabreen Mohsen. Rana's condition deteriorated sharply; she suffered heavy bleeding, lost consciousness, and her oxygen levels dropped. The soldiers allegedly ordered the ambulance engine to be switched off, cutting off Rana's oxygen supply.
By the time the ambulance was allowed to proceed and reached the hospital, Rana's baby had died. She subsequently underwent emergency surgery to stop the bleeding and complete the miscarriage. Rana expressed deep sorrow over the loss of her child, stating, "This is our fate, to live in these conditions."
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that the Israeli army has been obstructing its crews at military checkpoints surrounding Nablus since Friday, preventing access for various medical emergencies, including kidney dialysis patients. Physicians for Human Rights confirmed that the ambulance network around Nablus has been almost completely paralyzed, with other incidents of women giving birth in ambulances or being denied passage through checkpoints.
In a separate incident, Alia Awad was forced to walk to an ambulance on the other side of a checkpoint while in labor, narrowly avoiding giving birth at the checkpoint. The World Health Organization recorded 233 attacks on healthcare in the occupied West Bank in 2025, with 84 percent involving obstruction of access for ambulances.