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Kristen Ess, 19 February: Reports on Gaza and Bethlehem

Kristen Ess | 20.02.2003 23:32

....he asked Israeli soldiers why they were pointing guns at school girls the other day, preventing them from going to their elementary school. They answered him, "Because they're terrorists."

19 February 2003
Gaza City

The Israeli military murdered 11 Palestinians last night. They invaded Gaza City and Jabalia (the refugee camp just north of the city). It was about 10 pm. US donated Apache helicopters fired into the city while 60 Israeli tanks crushed through the streets. They targeted infrastructure and industry, the police, houses and cars, things that keep the Palestinian people and economy functional. There was no way for anyone to get away, to hide from the missiles and shelling. Gaza is a prison.

The dead are:

Munthir as-Safadi, 27
Ala' al-Hilu, 22
Saeed al-Hilu, 28
Abdul Rahma al-Qasas, 27
Tamir al-Qataa', 27
Muhammad al-Sahlub, 22
Ali Abu al-Khair, 30
Iyad Abid, 27
Abdul Karim Bakrun, 24
Amir ad-Dayeh, 19
Abdul Rahim Abu an-Naja, 30

Bethlehem
Yesterday Israeli soldiers were standing in the middle of Baba Shak (the main intersection in Bethlehem) pointing guns at school children and screaming at them to go home. All the little kids here wear uniforms to school, and all the kids are just so short in these little dresses and sweaters.

A foreigner who lives in Hebron told me he asked Israeli soldiers why they were pointing guns at school girls the other day, preventing them from going to their elementary school. They answered him, "Because they're terrorists."

A young woman named Neda wrote the following after talking to her friend just now, the girl in Beit Sahour who just got out of Israeli jail. Israeli soldiers abducted 3 young women from Bethlehem-one from Deheisha Camp, one from Beit Jala, and one from Beit Sahour-two nights ago.

Kristen ess
Occupied Palestine

MID-NIGHT VICTIM

by Neda

It could happen very simply to any girl of us, and without any consideration to any international law or any humanitarian sense, one girl of my classmates was arrested while she was drowning in her innocent's dreams, and has not any single political relation, in the middle of the night a tremendous number of Israeli soldiers, tanks and all kinds of weapons swept over Fida's house. Fida, which her mother died many years ago and living with her old father, were arrested in justification that she is planning to a suicide bombing, they searched the house and made upside down while there is nothing to find accept some canned food which kept for war,Fida and her old father were blind folded in a very windy night and it was raining very hard, they didn't allow her to take any jacket or blanket, they didn't take care about anything and treated her like animals, she couldn't hold on all that awful things that happens to her and her old father, after they put her in jail with other two girls with same reasons, they brought her one female soldier to deal and investigate, but it didn't work and they couldn't communicate despite there is many soldiers that speaks Arabic but they attended to bother them as much as they can do, Fida already got flu and sick physically beside to the nightmare they brought to her , and simply after one day they let them go and tell her that they mixed up with other Fida ….they think.

And this could happen to any Palestinian girl, and we are supposed to take it easy.

Neda, Beit Sahour
19 February 2003

Other Resources:

Threats of Forced Mass Expulsion, Amira Hass

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=22&ItemID=3077

Five-part series advocating ethnic cleansing in the name of a homogenous religious state with the usual, lies, distortions, euphemisms. 'Transfer' of Palestinians has become a common topic in Israeli political and academic discourse.

http://www.gamla.org.il/english/article/2002/july/b1.htm

Native American radio show comparing the struggles of Palestinians and Native Americans posted at

http://www.nativeamericacalling.com/ (February 11 past shows)

For news and analysis from Palestine:

http://www.flashpoints.net/

http://www.zmag.org/meastwatch/meastwat.htm

http://www.between-lines.org

http://www.electronicintifada.net

http://www.ccmep.org

http://www.palestinechronicle.com

http://www.palestinemonitor.org/

To get involved in Palestine solidarity in the US:

http://www.sustaincampaign.org

http://www.justiceinpalestine.org

http://www.al-awda.org

http://www.jewsagainsttheoccupation.org