Foreign Minister Jan Petersen has accused Israel of serious breach of International Law, in the wake of Israeli attacks on doctors and medical personnel in the Palestinian self governing regions.

-I deeply regret the continous Israeli attacks on the Red Crescent's medical personnel in the Palestinian areas, Petersen says.

Petersen reacts in particular against Thursday's Israeli attacks against several ambulances in Tulkarem on the West Bank, during which two doctors were killed and several health workers were wounded. Also on Friday morning a Palestinian doctor was killed.

-The attacks Thursday evening against ambulance personnel from the Red Crescent and the UN is a serious breach of international humanitarian law, which puts both sides under obligation to not attack neutral aid orgainzations like the UN and Red Cross which work to assist the victims of the conflict, Petersen says.

The Norwegian Foreign Minister thereby supports Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Red Cross, who has called Israel's attcks against medical personnel gross violations of the Geneva Conventions and related protocols.

Egeland rejects Israeli claims that that the ambulances on the Palestinian side are being used to carry weapons and explosives, and asks for evidence.

(Aftenposten/NRK)

Rolleiv Solholm