Israel condemned for using ambulance in deadly raid on Balata camp

Footage verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency reveals the moment Israeli special forces infiltrated the Balata refugee camp using an ambulance on 19 December, resulting in the deaths of two Palestinians, including a woman.
The operation has drawn widespread condemnation, with critics highlighting the troubling tactics employed by Israeli forces.
Nicola Perugini, an international relations professor at the University of Edinburgh, pointed out the hypocrisy of the move, noting that Israel’s military continues to accuse Hamas of using medical facilities for military purposes in Gaza - a claim that remains largely unsubstantiated.
Perugini took to social media to express his outrage, stating, "The Israeli army hiding in an ambulance to carry out an operation in Balata refugee camp, Nablus. The same army that destroyed Gaza’s hospitals based on the fabricated accusation that they are a network of military command centres."
UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, also condemned the Israeli actions, labelling the use of ambulances for military operations as a clear violation of international law.
"Misusing the protected status of medical vehicles and personnel is a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and may constitute a crime of perfidy," she wrote on X. "By systemically disregarding IHL, Israel has rendered the legal frameworks meant to protect civilians completely meaningless."
This latest raid highlights Israel's ongoing use of controversial and aggressive tactics, further inflaming tensions in the region and prompting calls for accountability.
Misusing the protected status of medical vehicles and personnel is a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and may constitute a crime of perfidy. By systemically disregarding IHL, Israel has rendered the legal frameworks meant to protect civilians, completely meaningless.… https://t.co/KXqYnqmRPT
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) January 5, 2025