Israeli and Palestinian injured in latest violence in same hospital

(17 May 2007) SHOTLIST 1. Israeli injured from latest rocket attack arriving at Barzilai Hospital 2. Injured Palestinian police officer in hospital bed 3. Close-up of Palestinian police officer's bandaged legs 4. Various of injured Palestinians in hospital ward, some receiving treatment 5. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Ashraf Addalla, Fatah gunman injured Wednesday in clashes with Hamas: "We were sleeping. There were no problems. At five thirty (0230GMT) in the morning we saw cars full of gunmen who started to fire rockets at us. We were all hurt by the attack. Four of my friends have died in the villa." 6. More of Palestinians being treated in hospital 7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Abed Al Rahaman, relative of one of the Palestinians wounded: "We received good treatment here, like brothers, Jews and Arabs. In the hospital there is no difference." 8. People in hospital 9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Shimon Scharf, doctor: "A wounded guy is a wounded guy. If he's wounded by gunshot wounds it is the same gun shot wound everywhere. And we are physicians, we are bound to humanitarian aid so it is no problem at all. The politics are for other people to take care of." 10. End shot of Scharf at desk 11. Exterior of Barzilai Hospital STORYLINE Injured Israelis and Palestinians were being treated in the same hospital in southern Israel as violence there and in Gaza claimed one life and injured scores on both sides on Thursday. Late on Wednesday evening, Israeli ambulances collected four badly wounded Palestinians at Erez, the only crossing point on the Israel-Gaza border. In an operation organised by the local Red Cross and Red Crescent, two of the Palestinian casualties were brought to Barzilai Hospital in the nearby city of Ashkelon in southern Israel, where several Israelis wounded by Palestinian rocket fire were also being treated. Hospital facilities in Gaza have been stretched to breaking point by the current round of fighting between the rival Hamas and Fatah organisations. For many of the injured in Gaza, even getting to hospital is dangerous when ambulances have to travel roads controlled by the other side's gunmen. Ashraf Addalla was wounded by gunfire when Hamas militants came to assassinate the senior Fatah security official he was guarding. At least four other bodyguards were shot dead, he said. "We were sleeping. There were no problems," said Addalla. "At five thirty (0230GMT) in the morning we saw cars full of gunmen who stated to fire rockets at us." In the room adjacent to Addalla's, an Israeli woman wounded in the latest rocket attack had just been admitted. She was from Sderot, the Israeli town that received at least 30 direct rocket hits fired by Hamas militants on Wednesday, and more on Thursday. A total of 22 people were killed in interfactional violence in Gaza City on Wednesday, as gunfire and explosions raged across the densely populated seaside town in the most widespread fighting of nearly a year of clashes between Hamas and Fatah. A total of 46 people have been killed in this week's fighting, according to Palestinian officials. The infighting has left the Hamas-Fatah coalition government on the brink of collapse and threatened to drag Israeli into the fray. Hamas has also targeted Israel, continuing rocket attacks on Sderot on Thursday. The army said five rockets landed in the southern border town, slightly wounding two people. A college and a secondary school were also hit, but escaped casualties. The army confirmed that it carried out the air strike against the compound. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...