“Israeli forces started shooting at the window and the bullet penetrated the frame at the window, causing shrapnel to be lodged in my face, neck and my chest.”
An Australian medical student, who was severely injured by shrapnel from an Israeli military shooting during a raid in the occupied West Bank earlier this month, has called on her government to investigate the incident.
Ranem Abu Izneid, a third-year dentistry student at Al-Quds University, which is located in Abu Dis near Jerusalem – a non-combat zone – was injured when a bullet shot by Israeli forces penetrated her dormitory window on November 15.
“Israeli forces started shooting at the window and the bullet penetrated the frame at the window, causing shrapnel to be lodged in my face, neck and my chest,” Abu Izneid told Australia’s SBS News.
The student may lose sight in one eye as a result of her injuries, doctors reportedly said.
Transparent Investigation
Abu Izneid and her family demand a full investigation from the Australian government.
“I demand a full and transparent investigation into the unjustified attack on me inside my own home,” she said, according to the SBS News report.
Ranem Abu Izneid is now in Melbourne receiving treatment after being seriously injured by shrapnel from an alleged Israeli military shooting. She is calling on the Australian government to investigate.
Read more: https://t.co/ThfWvMcit8 pic.twitter.com/rkB84VRM0I
— SBS News (@SBSNews) November 25, 2024
“Justice and accountability are not just for me, but to uphold the principles of protecting innocent lives,” added the 20-year-old born in Jordan to a Palestinian family who now lives in Melbourne.
She arrived back in Melbourne on Sunday morning and is now in a hospital receiving treatment.
Speaking from her hospital bed, she told SBS News she was “experiencing significant pain and emotional distress,” adding that her “future is uncertain.”
“The trauma of the event and the uncertainty about my recovery are overwhelming, as well as the uncertainty of my future health and ability to continue my studies,” she was quoted as saying.
‘Glad to be Alive’
A non-profit, the Palestinian Australian New Zealand Medical Association (PANZMA), which is coordinating her medical care in Australia, said in a statement that she had received “minimal surgical intervention” at St. John’s Hospital in Jerusalem before being evacuated to Jordan for further assessment.
A 20yr old #Australian dentistry student was severely wounded last week in an #Israeli military raid in #Jerusalem while she was in her uni dorm. She is the second Australian to be shot by Israeli forces after aid worker Zomi Franckom was killed in #Gaza in April #auspol pic.twitter.com/mNYMsPBiiE
— Farid Y. Farid (@FaridYFarid) November 23, 2024
“She’s very glad that she’s still alive because many people that are shot with this type of bullet actually don’t survive,” Dr. Fakhouri added.
PANZMA board member Dr. Amireh Fakhouri explained to SBS News that “It was a type of bullet that exploded as soon as it reached her face.”
‘Raise Awareness’
Her family said the attack “has left Ranem with devastating injuries, robbing her of her ability to continue her studies and, potentially, her vision.”
“She is an innocent civilian caught, caught in violence she has no part in,” they said, calling on the Australian government, “medical community and public to support her recovery and raise awareness of the toll this conflict has on innocent lives.”
Powerful story by @Rashidajourno about a Palestinian/Australian woman, Ranem Abu-Izneid, who was outrageously shot by the IDF in the West Bank while in her university dormitory:https://t.co/2GwKaoUJy3
— Antony Loewenstein (@antloewenstein) November 24, 2024
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed in a statement on Sunday that it has provided consular assistance to an Australian in the West Bank.
“The Australian government is seeking further information about the circumstances of the incident,” the statement added.
The Israeli Defense Ministry and the Israeli government did not respond to the Australian broadcaster over the shooting.
(PC, Anadolu)
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