Reports: Israeli soldiers block ambulance access for critically ill Palestinian infant, who later dies

What happened

Al Jazeera Gaza reports that on Sunday in the Deir Ammar refugee camp northwest of Ramallah, a three-month-old Palestinian infant named Ahmad Zaid died after Israeli forces blocked an ambulance’s access at a locked Israeli military gate between Deir Ammar and Ramallah. Ahmad was critically ill and required urgent transfer to a hospital in Ramallah. Attempts to carry him on foot past stationed Israeli soldiers were refused, despite desperate pleas from his father to allow passage.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The incident occurred as Ahmad’s mother rushed him to a nearby medical center where medical staff initiated emergency care, calling for ambulance transfer to Ramallah. The ambulance could only approach the Israeli gate, and the original plan to carry Ahmad across on foot collapsed when soldiers refused passage, reportedly shouting threats and deploying tear gas and stun grenades when the family pressed forward. Ahmad was pronounced dead en route to the hospital at 3:20pm.

The report places this tragedy within the context of a broader pattern of movement restrictions throughout the West Bank. The Deir Ammar gate has been closed indefinitely since late February, isolating around 18,000 residents in several villages from essential services in Ramallah. According to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission and the World Health Organization, there are hundreds of Israeli movement obstacles throughout the West Bank, affecting millions of Palestinians’ access to healthcare and other services.

Known from the source

• A three-month-old Palestinian infant named Ahmad Zaid died after being blocked from ambulance access at a locked Israeli military gate in the occupied West Bank.
• The incident occurred on a Sunday in Deir Ammar refugee camp near Ramallah.
• Israeli soldiers stationed at the gate refused to open it for the ambulance or allow the critically ill infant to be carried across on foot.
• The father pleaded with soldiers, reportedly saying, 'Shoot me, just let my son pass.'
• Soldiers responded with tear gas and stun grenades, forcing the family to retreat.

What remains unclear

Sources emphasize that these obstacles operate without fixed schedules, discretionary in nature, and form part of a broader system associated with Israeli settlement expansion that fragments Palestinian communities. The restrictions extend beyond security measures and have deep impacts on daily life and life-or-death emergencies. The family said Israeli military authorities later contacted them with conditions on funeral arrangements, including a ban on political slogans or displays, which remains unverified by independent sources.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Exact nature of the Israeli military’s interaction with the family at the gate, including tear gas and stun grenade use. Verification of the ambulance access procedures and permissions for emergency medical transfers in the area. Details about Ahmad’s medical condition, timeline of care, and exact time of death.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Al Jazeera Gaza. Open the source.