In Sporadic Manner Sharon is Repeating the Tragedies of Sabra and Shatilla
Monday, March 11, 2002
Last night, March 11th., the biggest and most crowded refugee camp in the
Gaza Strip, has lived through one of its most horrifying and violent nightmares
against all principles of human and civilized conduct.
In the streets and alleys of the dusty and over populated refugee camp
of Jabalia, residents still looked bewildered in shock and tired. For they
spent most of the night before fighting an invading column of Israeli tanks
numbered at fifty tanks and bulldozers.
As dawn broke out of the dark long night, people realized that they have
lost 17 of their sons and friends. More than 56 were injured, about 15
of them serious. Many were eager to tell their stories of how Israeli tanks
took over the main intersection of the refugee camp, then, sending soldiers
to occupy houses after kicking out the families. Soon, Israeli snipers
positioned themselves on the roofs. And an inferno of killing and shooting
at whoever appeared on sight began, in most cases, firing silenced bullets.
Two resistance fighters who declined to give their names described how
they tried to face off the Israeli advancing tanks. One man of about 26
years old said,・as soon as we heard that Israeli tanks were advancing
on the camp, young people rushed to the outskirts to deter the tanks from
getting deeper into Jabalia. ・His friend who mentioned he still had not
any sleep and looked visibly tired, said,・the tanks were firing 800 mm
bullets not far from my house. I saw one tank which positioned itself behind
a wall of sand.・As he was smoking and taking a deep sigh, added,・this
tank, suddenly opened fire at the street. In front of my own eyes, they
killed seven people with the same gun. Two of those seven were two brothers
named Hani and Mohammad Abu sukhaila, 27 and 25 years old. I know close
friends of mine among those seven. One of them is a special friend by the
name Fauzi Abu Shammas. Also, I saw Rami and Majdi from the same neighborhood
were shot in the chests and heads.
As we stood talking in the central market of the camp, a group of people
said that the battle lasted from two hours to three hours. Israeli Apaches
were flying throughout the fight over the Jabalia.
Another man forced himself through the crowd and shouted, We awoke to frightening
noise; tanks, bulldozers, Apaches, heavy machine gun shooting at our houses.
Residents rushed to the streets fleeing for their lives.・He added, ・I
did not sleep at all last night. We were just too frightened not knowing
how we would get fired at; they brought all kind of ways of death.
A young man of twenty waved his finger saying,・we tried to stop the tanks
from advancing more, but our men showed tough resistance.・ Another youngster,
agreed,・they came in to arrest many of us like what is happening in West
Bank, but due to our tough challenge they returned back. We forced them
to retreat.
The 26 years fighter warned, we are still expecting Israelis to invade.
We are vigilant and careful. He stressed, Jabalia is always a symbol of
steadfastness. We are people of strong determination. We will win at the
end.
The story of Osama Al Senwar:
Osama is a 29 years man married with four children. He was lying down in
bed at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. His tragedy started near his home
located in Jabalia. One bullet hit him straight between his legs where
it has done a lot of damage. Doctor operated on him and succeeded in removing
the bullet from his body.
・At first, we did not hear any sound of fired bullets. I was on my way
home, walking through the space in front of my house. But, I suddenly saw
few men in front of me dropping down with blood gushing out of heads, chests
or stomach. I heard voices screaming the Jews are firing silent bullets.
Watch out. Osama paused for seconds, pulling the blanket on his naked chest
and continued,・I realized that Israeli snipers are firing at us. I bent
down trying to rescue one man screaming from pain and who was trying to
block his blood from flowing from an opening in his chest. Before, I even
touched him, I felt the bullet hitting between my legs. Osama stopped talking
and lifted the blanket to show where the bullet hit him. His father was
sitting next to Osama, said, ・when the tanks came in, Israeli soldiers
or rather snipers stormed a couple of tall houses. They pushed the owners
out and went straight to the roof. There, they fired at whoever appeared
on sight, including my son as you can see.
The father added,・my son was laying down for more than an hour bleeding.
We waited for ambulance cars but the Israeli tanks prevented the ambulance
from entering to our stricken area where many were down bleeding to death.・Osama
said, ・One ambulance was fired at.
Osama commented,・Sharon is looking at us the same way he looked at Sabra
and Shtilla in Lebanon. He is the same executioner repeating the same massacres.
But this time he is executing his blood-thirsty goals at many refugee camps
throughout the occupied territories.
He added,・We tell Sharon to follow the path of peace not war. Your policies
of occupation brings miseries to both sides.・
Then, the young injured man appealed to the world,・It is our right to
live in peace and safety. That's all I have to say.
The story of how a father and son killed together:
As the old man stepped out of his house to find out the source of noises
outside, he walked out a couple of meters. Before he realized that few
tanks were standing tens of meters away, Israeli bullets hit him killing
the man instantly. His son, 34 years old, heard the noise of machine gun
fire, and rushed outside. He saw his father covered with blood in his final
moments. As he knelt down to pick up his father, again, the tanks fired
at the son killing him on top of his father. The rest of the family, named
Al Azem, screamed and shouted the tanks to stop more bloodshed.
The story of Sawalha family:
Mr. Sawlha described how he was hit with one bullet as he was getting treatment
at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. He considers himself lucky since the bullet
hit only his right shoulder without any damage to bones or nerve lines.
He started,・We were at home when suddenly electricity black out happened.
I hear the sound of Apache flying near. So, I decided to bring my children
down stairs for safety. But as I was leading them in the dark down the
stairs, I felt something hitting my right shoulder. It was an 800 mm bullet,
which went through my shoulder and hit the wall behind me. I waited bleeding
for more than hour for the ambulance because Israeli tanks blocked any
ambulance from
arriving to my house.
Jabalia Refugee Camp
March 12th. 2002
B. Samed
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