The young Irishwoman inside President Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah is determined to stay there, despite warnings by the Israeli military that all foreign personnel should leave or risk being killed, one of her colleagues has said.
Ramallah was declared a closed military zone by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) yesterday. Foreign nationals were given 24 hours to leave as violence escalated and the IDF resumed shelling the compound.
Ms Caoimhe Butterly (23), from Dublin, a peace activist with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), has been in the presidential compound since Friday when she accompanied ambulances into the area.
She is reported to be in a bunker area with about 100 Palestinians including Mr Arafat.
The ISM said last night that, having gained entry to the compound, 33 international peace activists remained there and that Ms Butterly was "physically fine".
She did have an opportunity to leave on Saturday with Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances. However, she chose to remain, "because she has medical training and the Israelis aren't allowing more ambulances in," another peace activist, Ms Sophia Ahmad, told The Irish Times yesterday.
Ms Ahmad, a US national, is one of the 33 who gained entry yesterday in an attempt to create a neutral physical barrier between the IDF and the Palestinians.
Although they are within the compound, it appears they have not joined Ms Butterly and other Palestinians in the bunkered area. Ms Ahmad said she had spoken to Ms Butterly earlier, at about 5 p.m. local time. "She called to let us know she was OK and to see what the news was from the outside." Ms Venus Kamura, a friend of Ms Butterly's in Dublin, said yesterday another friend had heard briefly from her.
"Since the new people went into the compound she is feeling a lot safer," she said.
Ms Ahmad said the 33 activists would remain in the compound.
"The Israelis want foreign nationals to go. But if they're going to start massacring Palestinians it's important we're here to witness it."
Although those within the bunker area had "some food", Ms Ahmad said water tanks had been destroyed, "so they probably have very little water".
Asked whether the international peace activists feared for their own safety, she said: "Of course. We're afraid to go outside the door.
"There are tanks and snipers everywhere. We don't go anywhere without waving a white flag and carrying cameras."
A protest at the escalating violence in Ramallah will take place outside the Israeli and US embassies in Ballsbridge, Dublin, today at 3 p.m.
