Beit Hanoun massacre
By Yousef Alhelou
Catastrophe in Beit Hanoun, a report from Yousef Alhelou
Beit Hanoun is a small town, consisting of 8 streets and is, like
every other town of the Gaza Strip, very crowded. The main street in
the town is now very difficult to use, because of the shells holes
in the road from the frequent Israeli attacks, but the six-day
offensive cut wide swathes of destruction through cultivated land,
damaging the town's primary industry. Since June 26 2006, military
incursions and aerial bombardments have caused damage to Gaza's
agriculture estimated at US$ 23.5 million. The conflict has also
caused severe damage to infrastructure. Bridges, roads, a power
supply plant, and water supply networks have been wrecked in the
past few months. The cost of damage to infrastructure is estimated
at US$8 million.
In yesterday’s funeral, the bodies arrived at the cemetery in a
convoy of 18 ambulances which drove from the local hospital through
the artillery-scarred cluster of apartment buildings.
The freshly dug graves were lined up in a single row, each marked by
a concrete block. A Palestinian flag fluttered over each one.
Nine children, including Maysa, a one-year-old infant and Malak, a
two-year-old toddler, together with their deceased mothers, were
taken to the cemetery on Thursday at noon. These were just some of
the latest victims of the most recent Israeli massacre, committed by
Israeli military forces on Wednesday in Beit Hanoun, in the north of
the Gaza Strip.
The victims were carried on the arms of their relatives and other
Palestinians who came in their thousands to participate in the
funeral. Those in the caskets were mostly from one family, the
Athamna family of Beit Hanoun.
Palestinians of all ages, as well as national and Muslim factions
participated in the funeral,
A local journalist said to me that the six days of the incursion so
far could be summarized as "siege, horror, starvation and
destruction."
Cries of “God is greater than Israel and America”, punctuated by
gunshots, rang out as the bodies were brought out on stretchers.
“I will avenge, I will avenge”, screamed one of the victims’
relatives as he fired his weapon, voicing a common sentiment among
the mourners.
Two Israeli unmanned aircraft buzzed overhead.
The hospital of Beit Hanoun was built recently and had only been
operating for just a month and a half before the beginning of the
massacre, but has been more busy than any other hospital in the last
six days, receiving hundreds of injured people, in spite of its
limited capacity of just 40 beds.
Director of the hospital, Dr Jamil Ali, said that the Israeli forces
have besieged him, along with his colleagues, for six long days in
the hospital, and in some cases, they have been ordered to hand over
some of the injured people. He said that, although they are forced
to work in very hard conditions, they have been able to rescue eight
of those injured, and prevented them from dying.
Ambulance driver Khalil Sadawy spent Wednesday ferrying Palestinian
casualties from Beit Hanoun - hit by Israeli shells - to the
hospital.
He watched the next day as 13 bodies were loaded into the fleet of
ambulances.
The hospital staff, jostled by family and friends of the victims,
struggled to close the vehicles' doors.
The ambulance sirens then blared and the vehicles inched out of the
hospital grounds.
They were taking the victims home - and to their graves.
“We do what we can”, said Mr. Sadawy, 53, his hands tucked into his
trouser pockets. “But often it's not enough."
Mr/ Sadawy is one of the 289 employees - doctors, nurses, cleaners,
kitchen workers - at the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya, a town
in northern Gaza.
The 77-bed hospital serves as one of the main emergency units for
the area. In normal times, the building is a busy place.
But in the last few days it resembled a field hospital.
Click on the following link to view some pictures taken during the
last Israeli masscare on Beit Hanoun northern Gaza Strip
BEFORE YOU PROCEED
The following link contains scenes of violence which may be very
offending for weak-hearted viewers.
http://www.moh.gov.ps/index.asp?fun=1&rep=1
Yousef Alhelou is a freelance Palestinian Journalist. He can be
contacted on
ydamadan@hotmail.com
+++
Gaza: From "Summer Rain" in the south to "Autumn Clouds" in the north
Safsaf - Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip
On Wednesday morning, the Israeli army declared Beit Hanoun a closed military
zone. All residents were ordered to stay indoors. The Israeli army issued a
warning through two local radio stations ('Freedom Radio' and 'Youth Radio')
after they occupied the airwaves for a few minutes.
The town of Beit Hanoun, which lies only a few kilometres from the Israeli
settlement of Sderot on the other side of the Gaza-Israel border, has 28,000
inhabitants.
The Israeli army conducted a large-scale offensive in Beit Hanoun at dawn on
Thursday. It combined air and ground forces, including infantry, armoured corps
and engineer corps forces.
According to Palestinian sources, this incursion is the tenth into the town of
Beit Hanoun since the Israeli army 'left' the Gaza Strip last August 2005. The
death toll resulting from this offensive is 8 killed and more than 100 people
wounded. It continues to rise.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the operation "a massacre" and an
"abominable crime". Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh declared: "This is
the fruit of ['Israel, Our Home' Chairman] Avigdor Lieberman's addition to the
government".
Nedal Wahdan, a resident of Beit Hanoun, 47, said, "The Israeli army says that
this operation will be rapid without re-occupation of the Strip! Are they
fooling us? They still occupy us even after they left the Gaza Strip by turning
the Strip into a big prison. I cannot go to my farms, fearing that a shell might
him me or at least its shrapnel". He added that Beit Hanoun used to be a
paradise full of trees and planted fields: "We used to have a barbecue between
the trees enjoying the singing of the birds but now it has become a desert
because the Israeli bulldozers destroyed everything",
Basmah Al-Kafarnah, 36, mother of 6 children, said, "My children get scared and
terrified whenever they hear tanks shelling. I don’t have an alternative house
to move to. It is very dangerous when shrapnel falls on the roof and hits the
windows. The shells don’t differentiate between militants and civilians, they
are conducting random killings; they even killed animals in our field yard".
Naem Al-Masri, 31, a farmer, said, "God knows how many people they are going to
kill this time. On the day of Eid El-Fitr a few weeks ago, they killed 7 people.
We have lost many loved ones. I wonder why the Israelis have the desire to
commit ethnic cleansing. We demand the international community to intervene and
stop this genocide. Do we not as Palestinians have the right to live like the
Israelis? The only solution to this crisis is to end the Israeli occupation to
our lands, we need to breathe! FREEDOM!"
Palestinians are leaving the territories due to the harsh security and economic
situation there, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
Ahmed Suboh, a Palestinian Foreign Ministry official, said at a Ramallah press
conference that over the last four months, foreign and Arab diplomats have
authorized 10,000 Palestinians to enter their countries.
Ahmed Abu Harabid, 15, a school student, said, "I was wounded last week by
shrapnel to my leg and abdomen. It hurts so much. I want to tell the Israeli
children to feel how we feel. We don’t enjoy our lives like they do. I want to
be a doctor one day to help treat people, especially innocent babies and
children. My uncle is imprisoned in an Israeli jail and my cousins lost their
father 2 years ago".
While I was listening to Ahmed speak, a group of young children came and asked
him to go with them to play soccer in the street but his father shouted, "Son,
go inside the house. I don’t want to lose you." The father said to me in a sad
tone, "When he was wounded the last time, we thought he was going to die, thank
god he is still alive. We are always worried. The drones are hovering in the
skies so it is dangerous, I should go to my house."
------------
Yousef Alhelou is a freelance Palestinian journalist. He can be contacted on
ydamadan@hotmail.com
+++++
Autumn clouds pile up above Beit Hanoun
By Yousef Alhelou in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip
An Israeli Apache helicopter swoops toward northern Gaza and drops missiles on
Bet Hanoun, leaving a plume of dust and destruction in its wake.
At least 52 Gazans have been killed since the start of Israel's 'Operation
Autumn Clouds' in the Gaza Strip. More than 260 Palestinians have also been
injured in this continued offensive, most of them civilians, including
approximately 43 women, 30 children, 1 paramedic, and 1 journalist.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert refused Sunday to say when Israel's offensive
in the Gaza Strip will end, telling his Cabinet the operation will continue
until Palestinian rocket attacks significantly decrease.
Local radio stations in the Gaza Strip have broadcast throughout the day and
night for the fifth successive day in order to keep listeners informed of any
breaking news, and playing patriotic songs saluting the resistance men and
military wings. The resistance groups called their battle against the Israeli
army, "the battle of the faithful, free fighters."
While I was driving to Kamal Udwan hospital in Beit Lahiya and listening to a
local radio station to get the news update, suddenly the Israeli army succeeded
in occupying the airwaves for a few minutes. They played a recorded message
warning the residents in the north to stay inside their houses and to keep away
from militants and not offer them any assistant or protection.
Zeyad Abdul Dayem, an ambulance driver, said: "We had to wait today for 15 hours
until the Israeli army allowed us to evacuate the body of a dead man who was
killed by Israeli snipers who were positioned on the rooftops of high buildings
belonging to Palestinian residents in Beit Hanoun".
Mohamed Al-Kafarnah, a 43-year old father of four children in Beit Hanoun, said:
"I was not in Beit Hanoun when the Israeli army entered the town".
I asked how he was keeping in touch with his family. He responded, "I was lucky
to talk to them for the last four days by mobile, but an hour ago they said
their battery is running out and they don’t have electricity in the whole town,
so they won't be able to charge the mobile. Moreover, they cannot use telephone
land lines because the Israeli army destroyed the telephone centrals and wire
networks in the area."
"I'm so worried about them. They don’t have drinking water, food, milk and
medicine for the children who are suffering and scared."
He added: "People are in very critical situation. Some of them throw food to
each other through the roof and windows. There are hundreds of Israeli snipers
occupying peoples' houses and they shoot at any moving object, they have even
killed animals".
When I asked him why he was in the hospital, he replied, "The reason why I'm in
the hospital is because the body of my dead cousin is still in the morgue. We
are waiting for the Israeli army to lift the siege, curfew, and to end their
incursion in the town so that we will be able to bury him in the cemetery of
Beit Hanoun."
Munir Abu Oudah, 38, said: "This incursion and offensive is different from the
previous one. I think they are going to commit massacres like what they did in
Jenin city in the West Bank. This time, they destroy houses and carry out mass
arrests of men of Beit Hanoun and take them to unknown destinations. They are
even surrounding Beit Hanoun hospital, and the unmanned drones - or "Zannanah"
as people call them because they make a buzzing sound – don't stop hovering in
the skies above our heads all the time".
"The Israelis do not allow us to make the call for prayer because they shoot at
anyone who moves, including people who are trying to go to the mosque," says
Zaki Kafarna, who won't allow his seven children to leave the house since his
neighbor's son was killed last week. "The Israelis are everywhere. there are
tanks everywhere, cutting up our citrus trees. Our children live in fear and
they don't sleep at night," he says.
Aysha Gaben, a 45-year old school teacher who lives in Beit Lahiya near Beit
Hanoun, said: "We are worried that the Israeli army will expand their incursion
and escalate the offensive. I'm going to leave my house by tonight along with my
family to stay in our relative's house in Gaza City". She added: "I cannot see
the Israeli army killing my sons, or taking them prisoners, they do not know
mercy, they are punishing all people in the Gaza Strip because of one Israeli
soldier, but we have more than 10,000 prisoners behind Israeli bars ".
She continued: "Thanks to the American administration who gave them the green
light and participated in this incursion by sending American officers to help
the Israelis and execute plans to wipe out our town, the Israeli occupation army
has made our lives miserable. We prefer death rather than being humiliated and
deprived of dignity and freedom. The American administration is always
pro-Israel. The UN headed by Kofi Annan does not care about our tragedy. I hope
my words reach them and I want to ask them why we, the Palestinians, have to
suffer. We expect you to use your role to end the Israeli occupation".
"The whole world should understand that we are conducting a war of independence.
We are not terrorists as they portray us in the media … we are the victims of
the Israeli occupation. Enough is enough! We are tired of this! Are they not
tired? When will they realize that we are humans like them, dreaming to have our
rights back and to have an independent state called Palestine? "
------------
Yousef Alhelou is a freelance Palestinian journalist. He can be contacted on
ydamadan@hotmail.com
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Dark clouds raining blood over Beit Hanoun
8th-Nov-2006
By Yousef Alhelou, Beit Hanoun northern Gaza strip
One day after the Israel army declared that it had pulled out and completed Operation Autumn Clouds in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, 24 Palestinians killed in Gaza and West Bank, 19 people were killed and at least 45 were injured as a large number of shells was fired at the town, another 5 Palestinians killed in Jenin northern west bank by Israeli army.
The series of incidents began at 6 a.m., when eyewitness said that dozens of tank shells and missiles landed simultaneously in a small and limited area in Beit Hanoun. Ambulances found it difficult to evacuate the wounded
According to Palestinians sources, some of the shells landed on a house, killing 11 members of one family called Al-A'athamein, including a 9-year-old child and a 73-year-old woman..
Israeli sources confirmed that artillery shells were fired Wednesday morning, they said it was not yet known whether the matter was a technical error or a human one !!
sources in Gaza reported that some of those killed were hurt after shells hit a group of civilians who arrived to aid those hurt in the first barrage. Residents in the area were called to donate blood for fear that the number of casualties would be higher
Khaled Radi, a Palestinian Health Ministry official, said all the dead were civilians. He said seven children and four women were among the dead.
Radi also said at least 45 more were wounded, all civilians. Four hospitals are treating the wounded across Gaza.
Emergency and first aid director in the ministry of health, Dr Moa'aweyah Hasanein announced that the latest round of Israeli war crimes in Gaza has resulted in a new massacre in the northern town of Beit Hanoun. 19 innocent civilians, including 7 children, 4 women have been murdered brutally as they slept in their own house. This brings this week’s toll alone to 83 Palestinian martyrs and More than 350 have been critically injured.
In a huge demonstration outside the morgue at the Kamal Adwan hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, thousands called for revenge.
Hundreds of Palestinians began marching in the northern Gaza Strip, in protest of the IOF operation in Beit Hanoun.
The protestors chanted slogans against Israel and demanded for revenge
President Mahmoud Abbas declares 3-day mourning period, closes schools after the horrific massacres against civilians in Beit Hanoun northern Gaza, he added "this is a horrible, ugly massacre committed by the occupation against our children, our women and elderly in Beit Hanoun," he said in a statement. "We urge and call the security council to convene immediately to stop the massacres committed against our people and to uphold their responsibility to stop these massacres."
During an emergency meeting of the Palestinian cabinet, PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh announced that efforts to form a national unity government have been suspended after "this awful massacre."
Labors syndicate in Gaza called today for general strike and to
visit the families of the victims and wounded people in hospitals
The government spokesman, Ghazi Hamad, appealed to the international community to mobilize and stop Israel carrying out such massacres against unarmed Palestinians, " Israel is a nation that has no human values and is a disgrace to the modern world." He added .
Palestinian Health Minister Bassem Naim also referred to the series of incident, saying that killing constitutes a policy and a target for the Israelis.
"I have no words to describe the ugly Israeli massacre in Beit Hanoun this morning.
According to Naim, "This massacre is added to another massacre which the town has only just emerged from. This morning's operation only proves that killing is Israel's target, and this is proved by the massive fire at the medical teams arriving at the area."
Naim added that another proof was the inclusion into the government of Avigdor Lieberman, who calls day and night to kill Palestinians. The Israeli army target the ambulances, paramedics and journalists to hid the facts.
"The massacre in Beit Hanoun proves that the Israeli government is committing war crimes against civilians," said Knesset member Talab El-Sana after the incident. "Palestinian children and women who are murdered in their homes and in their beds. Olmert, Peretz and Halutz are war criminals who failed the first war and are committing war crimes in the second war."
He called for "the end of the ongoing slaughter" and said "tanks cannot kill the dream of a people aspiring to independence and freedom."
Mohamed A'athamnah, 37, has said:" Israeli army claim that they pulled out from our town, they are not physically here but their smells and their bad image still here, they continue its brutal horrific massacres against civilians in Beit Hanoun and in all the Palestinian territories, they want to achieve victory here after they were defeated in south Lebanon, they only understand the language of force, they are vampires who don’t know mercy, the bodies of children scattered every where in the site scene to pieces, God be with us, the whole world turn blind eyes .
"It is the saddest scene and images I have ever seen," 29-year-old Majed Kafarnah said. "I saw people coming out of a house covered in blood. I started screaming to wake up the neighbors."
Mona Al-Zanoiun, 41, has said: " they destroyed our houses above our houses, killed women and children, they are criminals, they murder us in a cool blood, where is the international community and security council to see these massacres, we do not want them to send us food, we want them to take a brave actions to stop these crimes, she described what happened to the town as Tsunami and destructive earthquake.
Nidal Mater, 53, has said: once again they commit massacres against civilians, but they will not break our sprit, we will not leave our land, all of us ready to die for the sake of FREEDOM.
He added: " they use their arsenal to kill children and women, they are cowards, hearted has engraved in our hearts and we will never forget, where is there democracy ? I just wonder are they just human beings like us ? they destroy our agriculture fields, water, electricity networks and infrastructure, we can not recognize our streets, destruction is everywhere, even mosques which considered holy places destroyed !
Noor Masoud, 14, has said: "my message to the Israeli army, "well done, every day you prove to us that you are the most polite army of the world", she was crying when she spoke and added" if you ask the trees and walls in Beit Hanoun it will tell you how merciful the Israeli army is !! its so funny when the Israeli government express its regret following this horrific awful massacre.
Mahmoud Nasser, 33, we rush from one mourning tent to the other because of the operation that only ended yesterday and already we have to deal with a new massacre. Difficult images, dead children, injured children with their faces torn. It's unbelievable." there were difficult images in the town's hospital as well, where mothers cried out as they carried their injured children, he added : that all of Beit Hanoun "is busy with only one thing, moving the dead and wounded. All this between puddles of blood, lots of blood and body parts, next to some of the bodies were the schoolbags and sandwiches of children preparing to go to school."
Um Zeyad, 42, said: she had lost four of her children in the incident: Muhand, Mahadi, Arafat and Saad. "I am proud to be the mother of the Shahids (martyrs), it is a great honor and we pray to Allah to compensate us," the bereaved mother said.
She added two days ago " the Israeli army stolen $1800 from my sister's house, another woman was in the same house tried to prevent him steeling the money, he hit her by this gun to her head and she lost conscious, the soldier refused to allow a woman to bring water, " 42 of us were women and children trapped in one room.
I asked a man about what has happened, he started crying, it was emotional moment, another man said, its normal to see a woman cry but its very hard to see a man cry, he added, we lost our houses, members of family, loved ones and they destroyed our agriculture fields, citrus tree and olive trees which is our only income, today Palestinians united against one enemy.
Yousef Alhelou, Freelance Journalist lives in Gaza city, he can be contacted on ydamadan@hotmail.com