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ANNE M VENESKY ANNE M VENESKY" <AVENESKY at prodigy.net
Wed, 3 Apr 2002 22:05:37 -0500
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More first hand testimonies from Palestine-- many from children.
----- Original Message -----
From: "WORLD VIEW" <nrr3mnsn@hotmail.com>
To: <nrr3mnsn@hotmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 12:32 AM
Subject: Messages from Palestine
>Messages from Palestine
***********************************
Palestinian Children's Stories <issamanal@yahoo.com>
Saturday, March 30, 2002
My name is Alyyan Zayed, I am 9 years old. I cann't play on my back
yard. I cann't step outside of my home front door, because of the
curfew. I've hided my toys because I am afraid that the Israeli
soldiers will take me away, for having toy guns and toy tanks. I
can't even walk to the store to buy candy because of the curfew.
This is a letter from Rana to the whole world:
During this situation my father is faraway. When I first noticed my
sister and mother crying upon watchin TV where the Israeli soldiers
are shoting the arrested men. I imagined my dad might be one of
them. I started crying and crying and after a minute I said to
myself why do I cry for, this is our distiny. My father is a police
man and we should resist. Rana Burkan, 9years.
I am Lema Zayed, 11 years. I want to go to school to finish my study
this year. I want to be free during Summer, to go swimming and
playing. I want the Israeli soldiers to leave our land and stop the
occupation and stop using these heavy tanks. We have nothing to
confront them by. I don't want them to occupy our schools, or
shelling them.
I am Ahmed Tuqan, I am 7 years old. Since the Intifada had started
we started moving from one home to another. Every week we live in a
home. The Israelies enter homes and frighten people. When they enter
Jerusalem we move to Ramallah and when they enter Ramallah we move
to Jerusalem.
Mustafa Mulhem, 8 years: I want to thank the foreign countries for
they intend to help the Palestinian children. We are in a very bad
and poor situation. Our towns are occupied. I am in Ramallah and we
are under a total occupation by the Israeli soldiers and the city is
full of tanks and military vehicle. I feel sorry for the dead
(martyers) and wounded people, but our hospitals and doctors will
protect us.
I am Ala' Jibrin, 12 years. I live in Ramallah in an old house
consisted of one room. It doesn't include a bathroom. Our neighbours
and us use an outside doors bathroom. It is 30 meters far from our
home (room). The Israeli soldiers prevent us from using it, or going
to the kitchen which is also outside our home. We can't even prepare
food. We are 8 siblings live in a very difficult situation. We are
confused and don't know what to do, if we went out they might shot
us. What's more the Israeli soldiers throw their rubbish in front of
our house door. They use the bathroom in front of our home door.
Light is cut off since yesterday. We are nervous and in a very
difficult psychological situation. We ask God, and everyone who has
human feelings over this earth to interfere and put an end to this
nightmere prevailing over the lives of the Palestinian children.
I am Yanal Zayed, I am 4 years old. I want to swim. I want a home, a
house and a window to look through.
I am Sara Atrash, I am 5years, I love you Mom.
Hiba Burkan 12 years: we're longing for peace and security. We want
love and affection. Give us childhood, and freedom.
Sunday, March 31, 2002
Ahmed Atrash, 8 years: this is a very difficult situation, I got
bored. My parents do not allow me to play in the back yard. They
don't allow me to watch TV, for they're watching the news. I am sad
for the martyres but my sorrow increased when I heared the number of
martyrs is increasing also. But I am playing with my friends in
neighbourhood. My only wish is the Israeli soldiers to get out of my
land, and this is the best wish I make to my population.
Ala' Jibrin, 12 years. While we were sleeping, we heared the sound
of broken glass. We peeped through the window and saw the Israeli
soldiers breaking cars' glasses and stealing the record players.
They broke our car windows. Thank God they didn't steal our record
player. In the morning, 15 soldiers entered our home shouting. They
turned over the house up side down, arrested my dad, and kept us in
our small kitchen, which is located outside the house. I think they
took away my dad, because of having a Palestinian flag. We saw them
beating up the arrested men very hard. Isn't that terrorism itself,
oh my God!
Mizer Jibrin, 15 years. (Ala's brother)
"Unforgettable Pictures"
The Israeli soldiers prevented us from going out to the kitchen or
bathroom. We were in unbelievable situation. Since the bathroom was
far from our home (the room which we live in) my younger sisters
used an empty garbage can. I refused to, and insisted to go to the
bathroom
outside. I wanted to front the soldiers, and my parents tried to
prevent me, and due to my insistence they agreed warning me to take
care. When I finished using the bathroom, the soldiers were
sorrounding the place and asked me to rise my hands. One of them
pushed me forcely, and started questioning me: what are you doing,
what's your name, how old are you" I answered them, and they were
about to beat me, when my father cried "stop it, stop it, he is a
child went out to use the bathroom". They released me and broke into
our home. They imprisoned my sisters, brothers and me in our small
kitchen. And sabotaged our home. They arrested my father and beat
him with the other men. Then they coverd their heads by plastic
bags, taking them to unknown distination. I experienced the
occupation and I will never ever forget. I want to say stop your
occupation, stop your tyranny and stop your killing, stop..
Alyyan Zayed, 9 years. The Israeli soldiers are killing the young
men and frightening the children. They are imprisoning the
Palestinian soldiers and killing the pressmen. Support us and
protect us.
***********************************
From: "pcrbs" <pcr@p-ol.com>
Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2002 12:43:18 -0000
Update from Bethlehem
April 1, 2002
Around 150 internationals and dozens of Palestinians marched
peacefully towards the occupied city of Beit Jala. The peace
activists marched with slogans calling for peace and against war and
violence. The peace activists were attempting to visit the families
besieged in their homes, which have been taken by Israeli soldiers
and turned into a military checkpoint. Israeli soldiers sited in
their tanks and ABCs blocked the road in front of the peaceful
marchers. While two of the marchers were just starting to move
towards the tanks with their hands up in order to negotiate with the
soldiers, soldiers started shooting randomly at both the crowd and
the reporters.
As a result, 8 people were injured. The injured people are three
Americans, two from the UK, one from Japan, one from France, and a
Palestinian reporter. All were treated at Beit Jala Hospital. An
American girl was operated and still in the hospital. All others
were released.
What happened in Beit Jala is a serious warning about the intentions
and attitudes of the Israeli soldiers in their campaign to re-occupy
the already occupied Palestinian areas. A sign that indicates that a
big massacre is in its way.
For more specific information call
052595319 (Ghassan)
April 2, 2002
More than 150 Israeli tanks invaded Bethlehem area from all
directions. Heavy shooting and shelling is regular all
morning long. The Israeli army is moving towards the Church of
Nativity. Bethlehem is sliced into a dozen of isolated areas.
Soldiers and Apaches are shooting at any moving target. More than
150 internationals are staying with Palestinian families inside the
Refugee camps of Bethlehem. Their lives as well as the lives of
their hosts are endangered.
April 2, 2002
In a phone talk with ISM activist Neta Golan who is staying inside
the presidential compound in Ramallah, she indicated a sever
shortage of medicine, water, and food. More than 32 internationals
are staying inside the compound trying to create a human shield
against any Israeli attempt to attack and kill president Arafat and
his assistants.
***********************************
Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2002 16:57:32 +0200
From: "Lawsociety" <law@lawsociety.org>
Israeli forces continue assault against Bethlehem
April 2, 2002
Israeli forces continue their assault against Bethlehem, Beit
Sahour, Beit Jala, Doha, and al-Khader. Israeli forces try to enter
Dheishe refugee camp. The area is without electricity and ambulances
are prevented from evacuating the injured. Israeli tanks have
demolished homes in the old city of Bethlehem to make way to reach
Manger Square.
More than 250 Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers, backed
by F16s and Apache helicopters have entered Bethlehem, Beit Sahour
and Beit Jala. Most of the areas are under Israeli control,
including the Church of Nativity and the Municipality of Bethlehem.
During the invasion, followed by indiscriminate shelling, 60-years
old Aboud al-Amri, the doorman of SOS Children's Village, was
killed.
Israeli forces shelled residential buildings, public, educational
and religious institutions. Israeli forces raided several
residential
buildings and public institutions, occupied them, and turned them
into military posts, placing snipers on various floors and locking
up Palestinian residents in confined rooms. The buildings include
Bethlehem University and several appartment buildings such as
al-Shamia building, Said Zahran building, Bishara Nassar building
and the homes of Johnny al- Hihi. During one such operation, Israeli
forces seriously injured Ibrahim Abed (30) and his 60-years old
mother. They were hit by three artillery shells, before Israeli
forces took over Ibrahim Abed's home.
Today, Israeli forces have entered the village Bal'a, northeast of
Tulkarem, opened fire on residents and seriously injured Majdi
Zayadna (27) and his 18-years old sister Rima. He was shot in his
chest and his sister sustained shrapnel wounds in her face. Israeli
forces have killed 35-years old Ghaleb al-Haj, who is mentally
disabled. Israeli
forces opened fire from close range, fatally wounding him in various
parts of his body.
Israeli forces also entered Kufr al-Libad, east of Tulkarem, in
which residential homes were shelled, as well as Palestinian police
posts. Adel Darabiya (27), a Palestinian policeman from Dura near
Hebron, was injured by shrapnel in his neck. Israeli forces
positioned at the Salem-roadblock killed 22-years old Khaled
Sharqawi from Zababda. He was on his way to work when Israeli
forces chased him, captured and handcuffed him and then shot him
three times from close range in his neck, left eye and leg. Medical
sources told LAW that the bullets were explosive.
http://www.lawsociety.org
***********************************
From: "Al-Haq" <haq@alhaq.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 7:04 AM
Israel Attacks Palestinian Preventative Security Headquarters, Many
Feared Dead
Last night the Israeli military assaulted the headquarters of the
Palestinian Preventative Security Forces in Ramallah. According to
witnesses living near the compound, Israel tanks and Apache attack
helicopters opened fire on the building using missiles, shells and
heavy machineguns at approximately 1:30 am and continued their
attack throughout the night and into the morning. Witnesses reported
that more than 20 missiles were fired into the buildings and that
fire from
the tanks was indiscriminate. During the assault two buildings
caught fire and were completely destroyed.
According to Jabril Rajoub, head of the Preventative Security
Forces, there were approximately 400 men inside the buildings when
the assault began. In addition to housing the Preventative Security
forces, the Preventative Security compound also housed a hospital
and a prison complex in which many prisoners were being held when
the assault
commenced. Although no information is available from the Israeli
military regarding the number of Palestinians killed during this
attack, Al-Haq is concerned that due to the large number of men in
the compound and the indiscriminate nature of the Israeli fire the
death toll will be extremely high.
The vast majority of the men inside the Preventative Security Prison
in Ramallah are men who were arrested at the behest of Israel. Many
are political prisoners who have been arrested for their political
affiliation. The majority of these prisoners have not been brought
to trial and have not been afforded a fair hearing before the
courts.
Indiscriminate attacks upon defenseless prisoners and their guards
must be condemned. At the time of the writing of this release no
ambulances or medical teams had been allowed near the compound to
provide assistance to the wounded.
In other events today Israeli forces escalated their attacks on
Bethlehem, entered into Tulkarem and its surrounding villages, and
began amassing forces around Jenin and Nablus. At least three people
have been killed in Bethlehem, including a priest who was killed
inside his church. Water lines remain disconnected in Ramallah and
Al Bireh, and many families are reporting that they are out of food.
Immediate action must be taken by the international community to
stop Israel's ongoing assaults in the Occupied Territories and to
force Israel to end its 34 year occupation. In order to prevent
further atrocities and more bloodshed the international community
must take immediate steps to provide protection for the Palestinian
people.
*********************************** From: "pcrbs" <pcr@p-ol.com> Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2002 14:14:52 -0000 Urgent call for Internationals to come to Palestine. The International Solidarity Movement ISM calls upon who ever can come to Palestine to come. you are all needed now. ISM and GIPP groups in Ramallah and Bethlehem are doing great. They are the only rotection for President Arafat, they are with families in camps, joining ambulances. Your presence makes a difference. if you can find your way into Jerusalem we will do our best to get you in Bethlehem or Ramallah.
*********************************** From Prof. Rita Giacaman (Ramallah) They have just declared a lifting of the curfew in Ramallah for four hours for shopping, after 5 whole days of curfew. and my friend's neighbor, a boy of 14 called Kindi Qutteineh who lives inside the protestant Episcopal compound right across the street from HDIP went out of the house to buy what is needed, and was promptly shot. He was transported to hospital. What can we call this? Rita