Palestinian woman delivers in taxi due to territory closure

A Palestinian woman gave birth to a child in a taxi as the Israeli army prevented the taxi carrying her from reaching the hospital.

Taqrir Asuri, 27, in labor, took a taxi at her village north of Jerusalem, to go to hospital in the Palestinian autonomous town of Ramallah. The taxi could not cross a check point of the Israeli army, Ramallah being sealed off by Israel.

Soldiers at the check point stubbornly repeated that nobody was allowed to cross, not even a pregnant woman in labor. The taxi driver finally changed the course, taking another road leading to Ramallah. It was too late. The baby could not wait. It was born… in the taxi.