RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian rescuers worked together on Aug. 19 to put out a fire engulfing a transfer truck at the Allenby Bridge crossing between Jordan and the West Bank. Four days earlier on the West Bank, in Qalqilya, paramedics from Israel's Magen David Adom and Palestinian Red Crescent and other first responders had taken part in a road accident exercise, which was capped to the surprise of many by the release of a joint photo of all those involved.
The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories also released a video Aug. 15 of the latter exercise in which Israeli Fire Chief Ido Peretz remarked, “[This exercise] is part of the ongoing coordination between the Israeli and Palestinian rescue forces. Today, we had a practical encounter on the ground for rescuing people trapped in their car and extinguishing a car fire. Our encounters stem from their necessity on the ground, as we often meet on the roads when there is a car accident. As the years have passed, we have learned that cooperation is important, and this is increasingly tangible every time we are on the ground. I hope things continue in this way.”
