20/01/2004 Rafah - Gaza Strip - Palestine
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Rafah Reports http://rafah.vze.com/
20 January 04
During the past few days, it was full of attacks, incursions and crimes, from western Rafah to Eastern Rafah there is no house that has not somehow been affected by the Israeli crimes, from the north of Rafah and the south of it would be hard for you to understand what is happening.. it was like an earthquake, damaged houses here and there. Three days ago the Israeli Army demolished a part of Al Tawhid mosque, and today they demolished the rest of it..
Two days ago, the IDF demolished three houses near the Morage settlements, and another few houses were demolished, leaving the children of Al Jaria and Al Malahay families without homes in the cold weather. They also demolished many olive trees and two other gardens of chickens and sheep in the same area..
On the other hand, the Palestinian Human Rights Center appealed to the international community to crack down on the Israeli Army in Rafah, as that decision came a few hours after the Israeli withdrawal from Rafah Camp leaving 10 demolished houses, a large number of injured people and another 5 partially demolished houses.. As the Palestinian Human Rights Center says, Rafah has largest number of demolished houses. In addition to that, the Israeli policy of demolishing houses is a war crime against international laws for human rights, but the international community is not speaking up. which is encouraging the Israeli government to continue to demolish houses.
In the last attack in Rafah Refugee Camp, Israeli soldiers severely beat 15 year old Yehya Ibrahim Qandil, and his brothers 17 year old Ali, and 27 year old Mohammad last night northwest of Rafah City. According to medical sources at Abu Yousef Al Najjar Hospital they are all suffering from broken legs and arms. That crime comes after yesterday’s crime, where the Israeli Army which is armed with international weapons and under a massive
shelling from cannons, they demolished over 20 houses, and at least 6 people were injured.. The tanks and bulldozers withdrew just two hours ago since yesterday leaving many families demolished houses, injured people and many people in the tents..
Maybe it’s easy to read these words, just as you are sitting in your house, but can you imagine just for a moment if that child who lost his house is your son, your brother, or your sister?!
During that moments, the Israeli Army began in a new attacks just few hours after they withdraw from Block “O” area in Rafah and began in Tal Al Sultan area where they are still continuing up till that moment 4:37 PM. The injured people are 12 years old Mohammed Mahmoud Musa, Mohammed Abdelmajeed Abu Deban (9), Mohammed Darwish Saqer (9), and another old woman whom we do not know a name for. Abu Yusif Al Najjar hospital
says, that the injured people were seriously injured in different parts of their bodes, as the medical workers thought that the injured children were injured by a bomb which was as a toy form in Tal Al Sultan area..
According to the UNRWA office, the known houses that were demolished up till this moment belong to: Hamed Qeshta, Mohammed Qeshta, Ibrahin Qishta, Hamadan Qishta, Mohammed S Qusehta, Saeed Qieshta, Farid Queshta, Hesham Qeshta, Masoud Qeshta, Said S Queshta, and finally Hussam AL Shaer, in addition to other families who are not known up till that moment.. As the result of the whole attack there are 31 demolished houses, in addition to 5 partially demolished houses, and demolishing trees and damage the water supplies, electricity and phone lines..
Rafah families appeals to the world to stop what is happening here. Um Samir AbdeAl sits in the rubble of her house raising her hands towards the sky and weeping:” Is that legal what these criminals are doing against us? what did I do?! What did I do when the drunk bulldozer drivers demolished my house in less than 5 minutes?! Where are you Arabs? where is Human Rights? Where is world? where are those liars?” She also called on international journalist friends by saying”: What are you doing here?! You are all merchants, just coming here to cover for your own benefits and not for the sake of peace and justice. You were taking many photographs... what do we get from your photographs? The result is nothing but more incursions and attacks.”
Um Amaar sits in the rubble of her house, weeping and crying because of what happened with her and her family. She began weeping and saying: ”They demolished the house, they demolished the furniture, they killed my son, they shot my son’s child, they removed us
from the earth, they don’t have a brain... where I should go? waiting for UNRWA mercy to bring me a tent, or Red Cross blankets?!, I don’t want anything. I want my house, my house and that’s all, my house, I want to sleep in that rubble now, I don’t want to leave. I want to die under the rubble of my house, but I will not leave. I will ever never leave. These Israelis came as our guests in 1948 and we hosted them, and is this the result of our hospitality?! That is the result: we became homeless and our guests became the owners of the land?!! No, no no I will not leave, I want to die here in this corner that I used to sit in all my life.”
That is the life in Rafah Refugee Camp, the Israeli soldiers shoot at every moving thing, even animals. Here is the end of the world, here is the place where they killed the truth, they killed Tom Hurndel, Rachel Coriee, and James Miller..
Mohammed
