Mos'ab Al Soufy 17
Killed 7 apr 2011
On the afternoon of Thursday April 7th, Israeli forces escalated their attacks on the Gaza Strip. The murderous offensive has killed 18 people so far, the majority of them being civilians. Among the massacred are a mother, her daughter, two children, two elderly men and four members of Al Qassam Brigades. More than sixty people have been injured, some are still fighting for their lives. Since Thursday afternoon the Gaza Strip is besieged by drones, Apache helicopters, F16 and E15 fighter planes, gunboats in the south and tanks by the border.
At approximately 16:00 on Thursday, Israeli forces targeted areas surrounding the previously destroyed Gaza International Airport in the far southeast of Rafah city, in the south of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces positioned along the border fired approximately 10 artillery shells, while Apache helicopters opened machine gun fire. A number of the artillery shells landed near three Palestinian civilians who were sitting near the airport. Two of them, Mohammed Eyada Eid el-Mahmoum (25) and Khaled Ismail Hamdan el-Dabari (17) were killed immediately and the third civilian, Saleh Jarmi Ateya al-Tarabin (38) died of his wounds in the hospital on the evening of the same day.
Israeli forces continued to fire as a number of Palestinian civilians attempted to rescue the wounded;
Musaab Mohammed Ubeid Sawwaf, 20, was killed and another 14 civilians, including five children and a paramedic from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, were wounded.
Salama El-Dabari is seated in a tent, mourning the loss of his nephew, the 17 year old Khaled Ismail Hamdan el-Dabari, while he explains to ISM volunteers what has happened.
Khaled was following the ambulances on his motorbike, to assist the medics in evacuating the injured people. As soon as the ambulances arrived, an Apache helicopter shelled the site again. Khaled got stuck under his motorcycle, which caught fire during the shelling.
The ambulances of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society were not able to evacuate him immediately. They recovered his body the next morning, covered in burns, with open head wounds, a hole in the abdomen, bullets in the legs and without hands. His father, my brother, was looking for him, but we didn't want him to see his son in such a condition, so we sent him home before evacuating Khaled's body.
Salama switches to the inequality of the conflict and says the following:
Look at us, the Palestinians; we are a peaceful people who are trying to shake off the occupation to live in freedom. But we don't have any meaningful military power: we have no drones nor F16's, we don't have any of Israel's modern weaponry. There is no comparison possible. We are desperate. Nobody seems to care about the Palestinians and our struggle for justice.
21 year old Abdel Hadi Jumma el-Sufi is one of the injured and is currently hospitalized in Shifa hospital in Gaza City. He stares at the ceiling of his hospital room while recalling the murderous event.
One of the men was hit in the beginning of the attack, so me and my friends approached to evacuate him. We found out that the man was already dead. Tanks kept on shelling and killed another man. We managed to get the two dead bodies and one severely wounded man out of there, into the ambulance, but could not reach the fourth man as shelling prevented us.
I thought he was still alive, but in the morning the ambulance recovered another dead body from the scene. Abdel himself sustained shrapnel wounds to his legs, lungs and the back of his head and is currently awaiting surgery.
20 year old Mahdi Joma'a Abu Athra is worst of: the doctor at Europa hospital in Khan Younes describes him as a dead body kept alive by machinery.
His maternal uncles are sitting around the hospital bed and are explaining that Mahdi got married a couple of months ago: his wife is pregnant. It seems unlikely that Mahdi will ever lay eyes on his firstborn.
One of the uncles bursts out: How come the West is so interested in defending the Lybian's human rights and is doing nothing for the Palestinians? You, who come here in solidarity with us, should send a clear message to your countries: it is not us that is attacking Israel, it is Israel that is attacking us! They are the terrorists and the criminals! Our rockets and missiles are fireworks compared to Israel's weaponry! They have the most high-tech accurate equipment: they can target very precisely. When they kill civilians, it's because they intend to kill civilians!
Killed 7 apr 2011
On the afternoon of Thursday April 7th, Israeli forces escalated their attacks on the Gaza Strip. The murderous offensive has killed 18 people so far, the majority of them being civilians. Among the massacred are a mother, her daughter, two children, two elderly men and four members of Al Qassam Brigades. More than sixty people have been injured, some are still fighting for their lives. Since Thursday afternoon the Gaza Strip is besieged by drones, Apache helicopters, F16 and E15 fighter planes, gunboats in the south and tanks by the border.
At approximately 16:00 on Thursday, Israeli forces targeted areas surrounding the previously destroyed Gaza International Airport in the far southeast of Rafah city, in the south of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces positioned along the border fired approximately 10 artillery shells, while Apache helicopters opened machine gun fire. A number of the artillery shells landed near three Palestinian civilians who were sitting near the airport. Two of them, Mohammed Eyada Eid el-Mahmoum (25) and Khaled Ismail Hamdan el-Dabari (17) were killed immediately and the third civilian, Saleh Jarmi Ateya al-Tarabin (38) died of his wounds in the hospital on the evening of the same day.
Israeli forces continued to fire as a number of Palestinian civilians attempted to rescue the wounded;
Musaab Mohammed Ubeid Sawwaf, 20, was killed and another 14 civilians, including five children and a paramedic from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, were wounded.
Salama El-Dabari is seated in a tent, mourning the loss of his nephew, the 17 year old Khaled Ismail Hamdan el-Dabari, while he explains to ISM volunteers what has happened.
Khaled was following the ambulances on his motorbike, to assist the medics in evacuating the injured people. As soon as the ambulances arrived, an Apache helicopter shelled the site again. Khaled got stuck under his motorcycle, which caught fire during the shelling.
The ambulances of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society were not able to evacuate him immediately. They recovered his body the next morning, covered in burns, with open head wounds, a hole in the abdomen, bullets in the legs and without hands. His father, my brother, was looking for him, but we didn't want him to see his son in such a condition, so we sent him home before evacuating Khaled's body.
Salama switches to the inequality of the conflict and says the following:
Look at us, the Palestinians; we are a peaceful people who are trying to shake off the occupation to live in freedom. But we don't have any meaningful military power: we have no drones nor F16's, we don't have any of Israel's modern weaponry. There is no comparison possible. We are desperate. Nobody seems to care about the Palestinians and our struggle for justice.
21 year old Abdel Hadi Jumma el-Sufi is one of the injured and is currently hospitalized in Shifa hospital in Gaza City. He stares at the ceiling of his hospital room while recalling the murderous event.
One of the men was hit in the beginning of the attack, so me and my friends approached to evacuate him. We found out that the man was already dead. Tanks kept on shelling and killed another man. We managed to get the two dead bodies and one severely wounded man out of there, into the ambulance, but could not reach the fourth man as shelling prevented us.
I thought he was still alive, but in the morning the ambulance recovered another dead body from the scene. Abdel himself sustained shrapnel wounds to his legs, lungs and the back of his head and is currently awaiting surgery.
20 year old Mahdi Joma'a Abu Athra is worst of: the doctor at Europa hospital in Khan Younes describes him as a dead body kept alive by machinery.
His maternal uncles are sitting around the hospital bed and are explaining that Mahdi got married a couple of months ago: his wife is pregnant. It seems unlikely that Mahdi will ever lay eyes on his firstborn.
One of the uncles bursts out: How come the West is so interested in defending the Lybian's human rights and is doing nothing for the Palestinians? You, who come here in solidarity with us, should send a clear message to your countries: it is not us that is attacking Israel, it is Israel that is attacking us! They are the terrorists and the criminals! Our rockets and missiles are fireworks compared to Israel's weaponry! They have the most high-tech accurate equipment: they can target very precisely. When they kill civilians, it's because they intend to kill civilians!
Khaled Isma'il Hamdan al-Dbari 17
Killed 7 apr 2011
IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at least 10 artillery shells and IOF helicopter gunships opened fire in the vicinity of Gaza International Airport, southeast of Rafah. A number of shells landed near 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, who were in the airport. Two of these civilians were killed and the third one died of his wound later:
Killed 7 apr 2011
IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at least 10 artillery shells and IOF helicopter gunships opened fire in the vicinity of Gaza International Airport, southeast of Rafah. A number of shells landed near 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, who were in the airport. Two of these civilians were killed and the third one died of his wound later:
Yousef Fakhri Ikhlayl 17
Killed by settlers 28 jan 2011
Late Friday night, Yousef Ikhlayl succumbed to his injuries. His funeral is being held in Beit Ommar Saturday, January 29, 2011.
For Immediate Release:
Friday, January 28th 2011, 9am: Around 100 settlers from Bat Ayn settlement descended upon the Palestinian villages of Saffa and nearby Beit Ommar in the southern West Bank, shooting 17-year-old Yousef Fakhri Ikhlayl in his head, leaving him critically injured. Doctors have announced that Yousef is currently brain-dead in a Hebron hospital.
Settlers also shot 16-year-old Bilal Mohammad Abed Al-Qador with live ammunition in his arm.
The large group of armed settlers began shooting towards Palestinian homes in Saffa at around 9am, leaving Bilal injured. At the same time, a second group of settlers attacked an area of Beit Ommar called Jodor. Yousef was shot in the head in this area while he was standing in grapes vines he had planted on his family’s land.
Dozens of Palestinians from Beit Ommar and the nearby village of Surif began coming to the area to defend their communities. Seven jeeps of Israeli Forces also arrived in the area and escorted the settlers back to Bat Ayn.
This is the second settler attack with live ammunition on Palestinians in as many days. On January 27th, Uday Maher Qadous was shot and killed in Iraq Burin, in the Nablus district, by armed settlers as he was working his land.
Yousef Fahkri Ikhlayl is from the village of Beit Ommar and has worked on initiatives with the Palestine Solidarity Project, an ant-occupation organization in Beit Ommar. In the summer of 2010, Yousef attended the Center for Freedom and Justice’s Freedom Flotilla Summer Camp where he engaged in educational projects, community service, and unarmed demonstrations against the Israeli occupation. In the fall of 2010 Yousef was a participant in a youth photography class also sponsored by the center.
“Yousef was a kid who hoped for a better future for Palestine. His life was ended prematurely by right-wing extremists. People around the world should be outraged by his shooting, and should work to bring his attackers to justice. “
-Bekah Wolf, American citizen who worked with Yousef in the Center for Freedom and Justice
Settlers from Bat Ayn routinely attack and harass Palestinians in the Beit Ommar area. In January 27th, 2011 settlers in the area destroyed several hundred olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers.
Killed by settlers 28 jan 2011
Late Friday night, Yousef Ikhlayl succumbed to his injuries. His funeral is being held in Beit Ommar Saturday, January 29, 2011.
For Immediate Release:
Friday, January 28th 2011, 9am: Around 100 settlers from Bat Ayn settlement descended upon the Palestinian villages of Saffa and nearby Beit Ommar in the southern West Bank, shooting 17-year-old Yousef Fakhri Ikhlayl in his head, leaving him critically injured. Doctors have announced that Yousef is currently brain-dead in a Hebron hospital.
Settlers also shot 16-year-old Bilal Mohammad Abed Al-Qador with live ammunition in his arm.
The large group of armed settlers began shooting towards Palestinian homes in Saffa at around 9am, leaving Bilal injured. At the same time, a second group of settlers attacked an area of Beit Ommar called Jodor. Yousef was shot in the head in this area while he was standing in grapes vines he had planted on his family’s land.
Dozens of Palestinians from Beit Ommar and the nearby village of Surif began coming to the area to defend their communities. Seven jeeps of Israeli Forces also arrived in the area and escorted the settlers back to Bat Ayn.
This is the second settler attack with live ammunition on Palestinians in as many days. On January 27th, Uday Maher Qadous was shot and killed in Iraq Burin, in the Nablus district, by armed settlers as he was working his land.
Yousef Fahkri Ikhlayl is from the village of Beit Ommar and has worked on initiatives with the Palestine Solidarity Project, an ant-occupation organization in Beit Ommar. In the summer of 2010, Yousef attended the Center for Freedom and Justice’s Freedom Flotilla Summer Camp where he engaged in educational projects, community service, and unarmed demonstrations against the Israeli occupation. In the fall of 2010 Yousef was a participant in a youth photography class also sponsored by the center.
“Yousef was a kid who hoped for a better future for Palestine. His life was ended prematurely by right-wing extremists. People around the world should be outraged by his shooting, and should work to bring his attackers to justice. “
-Bekah Wolf, American citizen who worked with Yousef in the Center for Freedom and Justice
Settlers from Bat Ayn routinely attack and harass Palestinians in the Beit Ommar area. In January 27th, 2011 settlers in the area destroyed several hundred olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers.
Mahmoud al-'Amour 17
Killed 27 oct 2010
Israeli sources reported that on Tuesday night, a Palestinian boy from the town of Yatta, south of Hebron, was killed by an Israeli police car that ran over him in the town of Ashdod, in the southern part of Israel.
The source reported that the boy attempted to cross the road, which has no crosswalk, and the police driver could not avoid the pedestrian. The boy died instantly.
Palestinian sources reported that the boy was identified as Mahmoud al-'Amour,17 years old, from Yatta. His body was sent to the Abu Kabir Forensic Medical Institute.
Killed 27 oct 2010
Israeli sources reported that on Tuesday night, a Palestinian boy from the town of Yatta, south of Hebron, was killed by an Israeli police car that ran over him in the town of Ashdod, in the southern part of Israel.
The source reported that the boy attempted to cross the road, which has no crosswalk, and the police driver could not avoid the pedestrian. The boy died instantly.
Palestinian sources reported that the boy was identified as Mahmoud al-'Amour,17 years old, from Yatta. His body was sent to the Abu Kabir Forensic Medical Institute.
Ismail Waleed Muhammad abu-Oda 17
Killed 12 sept 2010 truce violation
Three shepherds, including elderly man, killed by Israeli forces in northern Gaza
Late Sunday evening, Israeli forces stationed on the Gaza-Israel border fired tank shells across the border into the Gaza Strip, killing three shepherds – although Israel claims the men were fighters preparing to fire a homemade shell into Israel.
Over twenty Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since last year on the Gaza-Israel border, many of whom were killed for allegedly getting too close to the 'no-man's land' that Israel has established on the Gazan side of the border
Killed 12 sept 2010 truce violation
Three shepherds, including elderly man, killed by Israeli forces in northern Gaza
Late Sunday evening, Israeli forces stationed on the Gaza-Israel border fired tank shells across the border into the Gaza Strip, killing three shepherds – although Israel claims the men were fighters preparing to fire a homemade shell into Israel.
Over twenty Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since last year on the Gaza-Israel border, many of whom were killed for allegedly getting too close to the 'no-man's land' that Israel has established on the Gazan side of the border
Hamdi Abu Duqqa 17
Killed 21 may 2010 truce violation
Two children killed in the southern Gaza border
“The firing was coming from its 500ml machine gun and focused at the child who was raising his hand… as if he was surrendering.”
On 21 May 2010, at around 1:00pm, Hamdi and Nader Abu Duqqa, cousins, took an assault rifle that belonged to their cousin and headed to the buffer zone that separates al-Faraheen area, east of Khan Yunis, Gaza, from the Israeli border. Both Hamdi and Nader had family problems and often talked about carrying out a “martyrdom operation.”
At around 1:30pm, their cousin Tarek (19) received a phone call from Nader saying: “Ask the youngsters to forgive me”. Then, he started hearing heavy shooting coming from the border zone.
According to Fadi Abu Duqqa (27), who can see the border area from the roof of his house, the shots came from a jeep parked near one of the observation towers, and from soldiers positioned in the second observation tower. They were aiming at two men who were crawling on the ground.
Around twenty minutes later, Tarek got hold of Nader. Gasping and crying, Nader said: “Please my cousin, come and take me.”
Tarek advised him to try to crawl back, or to tell Hamdi to carry him, but Nader said: “He’s injured in the head and chest, I’m injured in the chest and legs”.
At that moment, an Apache helicopter appeared hovering overhead and started firing at the hill east of the fence, between the two Israeli observation towers. From his roof, Fadi saw one of the children on the ground “lifting his hand up in the air as if he was surrendering.”
Then, he saw a tank firing at very close range: “The firing was coming from its 500ml machine gun and focused at the child who was raising his hand.”
On Saturday, 22 May 2010, at around 2:00am, Nader and Hamdi’s bodies were handed over to Naser Hospital in Khan Yunis. Their bodies were torn apart, “as if they were torn apart by a knife, not live ammunition.” Tarek cannot forget his last call with Nader, when he asked him for help.
The following information is based on two affidavits taken by DCI from Nader and Hamdi’s cousins, Tareq Saqer Hasan Abu Duqqa (19) and Fadi Adnan Abed Rabbo Abu Duqqa (27), on 5 June 2010.
On 21 May 2010, Tarek Abu Duqqa (19) went to the mosque for Friday prayer. On his way back, his uncle informed him that his cousins Hamdi (17) and Nader Abu Duqqa (17) had taken an assault rifle that belonged to their cousin and had left the house.
Tarek immediately knew Hamdi and Nader had gone to the border fence that separates al-Faraheen area, east of Khan Yunis, Gaza, from the Israeli border. Both Hamdi and Nader had family problems and often talked about carrying out a “martyrdom operation.” Tarek remembers: “They always talked about this in front of me since I was their friend. The three of us were always together but I thought they were not serious because they didn’t have a gun.
But now that they had a gun, it was possible that they would do it.” Tarek took his bicycle and rushed to al-Faraheen area. At around 1:30pm, he received a phone call from Nader: “Ask the youngsters to forgive me,” Nader said. Tarek tried to call him back, but he could not get through. Then, he started hearing heavy shooting coming from the area near the border fence.
When Fadi Abu Duqqa (27) heard the shooting, he went outside his house, located near the buffer zone, to see what was happening. There, he met with his cousins Ali and Fadi, who told him that Nader (17) and Hamdi (17), also his relatives, had tried to cross the border into Israel and had been shot. Fadi rushed to his roof and saw soldiers shooting at the hill between the towers: “I saw an Israeli jeep parked near Qulbat al-Faraheen [observation tower] and shooting at the hill between the two observation rooms on the border. I also saw the soldiers in Qulbat Abu ash-Shabab [second observation tower] shooting at the hill as well.”
When he looked at the hill, he saw two men crawling on the ground, but he couldn’t recognize which one was Nader and which one was Hamdi. He went down to the street to inform the people gathered there that Nader and Hamdi were still alive.
At that moment, Tarek received another missed call from Nader. Tarek called him back. Gasping and crying, Nader said: “Please my cousin, come and take me.” Tarek advised him to try to crawl back, or to tell Hamdi to carry him, but Nader said: “He’s injured in the head and chest, I’m injured in the chest and legs”. Then the call was disconnected.
An Israeli Apache helicopter appeared hovering overhead and opened fire. Although Fadi was scared to go to his roof again for fear of being targeted, he climbed again and saw one of the children on the ground “lifting his hand up in the air as if he was surrendering.”
At that moment, an Israeli tank opened fire at the child from a very close range. “The firing was coming from its 500ml machine gun and focused at the child who was raising his hand.”
Both Nader and Hamdi were killed.
Their bodies were handed over to the Red Cross and taken to Naser Hospital. Tarek, who saw their bodies, describes them as follows:
“Hamdi’s face was disfigured and his lower jaw was cut off. His legs were severely torn apart as if they were torn apart by a knife, not live ammunition.
Nader’s abdomen, chest, and legs were injured. His body was torn apart as if it was cut off with a knife especially in his legs.” Nader and Hamdi were buried the next morning.
Talking to DCI in June 2010, Tarek says: “I can’t forget my last call with Nader when he asked me to help him get out from the border. I can’t forget his crying and breathing that I heard through the phone.”
Killed 21 may 2010 truce violation
Two children killed in the southern Gaza border
“The firing was coming from its 500ml machine gun and focused at the child who was raising his hand… as if he was surrendering.”
On 21 May 2010, at around 1:00pm, Hamdi and Nader Abu Duqqa, cousins, took an assault rifle that belonged to their cousin and headed to the buffer zone that separates al-Faraheen area, east of Khan Yunis, Gaza, from the Israeli border. Both Hamdi and Nader had family problems and often talked about carrying out a “martyrdom operation.”
At around 1:30pm, their cousin Tarek (19) received a phone call from Nader saying: “Ask the youngsters to forgive me”. Then, he started hearing heavy shooting coming from the border zone.
According to Fadi Abu Duqqa (27), who can see the border area from the roof of his house, the shots came from a jeep parked near one of the observation towers, and from soldiers positioned in the second observation tower. They were aiming at two men who were crawling on the ground.
Around twenty minutes later, Tarek got hold of Nader. Gasping and crying, Nader said: “Please my cousin, come and take me.”
Tarek advised him to try to crawl back, or to tell Hamdi to carry him, but Nader said: “He’s injured in the head and chest, I’m injured in the chest and legs”.
At that moment, an Apache helicopter appeared hovering overhead and started firing at the hill east of the fence, between the two Israeli observation towers. From his roof, Fadi saw one of the children on the ground “lifting his hand up in the air as if he was surrendering.”
Then, he saw a tank firing at very close range: “The firing was coming from its 500ml machine gun and focused at the child who was raising his hand.”
On Saturday, 22 May 2010, at around 2:00am, Nader and Hamdi’s bodies were handed over to Naser Hospital in Khan Yunis. Their bodies were torn apart, “as if they were torn apart by a knife, not live ammunition.” Tarek cannot forget his last call with Nader, when he asked him for help.
The following information is based on two affidavits taken by DCI from Nader and Hamdi’s cousins, Tareq Saqer Hasan Abu Duqqa (19) and Fadi Adnan Abed Rabbo Abu Duqqa (27), on 5 June 2010.
On 21 May 2010, Tarek Abu Duqqa (19) went to the mosque for Friday prayer. On his way back, his uncle informed him that his cousins Hamdi (17) and Nader Abu Duqqa (17) had taken an assault rifle that belonged to their cousin and had left the house.
Tarek immediately knew Hamdi and Nader had gone to the border fence that separates al-Faraheen area, east of Khan Yunis, Gaza, from the Israeli border. Both Hamdi and Nader had family problems and often talked about carrying out a “martyrdom operation.” Tarek remembers: “They always talked about this in front of me since I was their friend. The three of us were always together but I thought they were not serious because they didn’t have a gun.
But now that they had a gun, it was possible that they would do it.” Tarek took his bicycle and rushed to al-Faraheen area. At around 1:30pm, he received a phone call from Nader: “Ask the youngsters to forgive me,” Nader said. Tarek tried to call him back, but he could not get through. Then, he started hearing heavy shooting coming from the area near the border fence.
When Fadi Abu Duqqa (27) heard the shooting, he went outside his house, located near the buffer zone, to see what was happening. There, he met with his cousins Ali and Fadi, who told him that Nader (17) and Hamdi (17), also his relatives, had tried to cross the border into Israel and had been shot. Fadi rushed to his roof and saw soldiers shooting at the hill between the towers: “I saw an Israeli jeep parked near Qulbat al-Faraheen [observation tower] and shooting at the hill between the two observation rooms on the border. I also saw the soldiers in Qulbat Abu ash-Shabab [second observation tower] shooting at the hill as well.”
When he looked at the hill, he saw two men crawling on the ground, but he couldn’t recognize which one was Nader and which one was Hamdi. He went down to the street to inform the people gathered there that Nader and Hamdi were still alive.
At that moment, Tarek received another missed call from Nader. Tarek called him back. Gasping and crying, Nader said: “Please my cousin, come and take me.” Tarek advised him to try to crawl back, or to tell Hamdi to carry him, but Nader said: “He’s injured in the head and chest, I’m injured in the chest and legs”. Then the call was disconnected.
An Israeli Apache helicopter appeared hovering overhead and opened fire. Although Fadi was scared to go to his roof again for fear of being targeted, he climbed again and saw one of the children on the ground “lifting his hand up in the air as if he was surrendering.”
At that moment, an Israeli tank opened fire at the child from a very close range. “The firing was coming from its 500ml machine gun and focused at the child who was raising his hand.”
Both Nader and Hamdi were killed.
Their bodies were handed over to the Red Cross and taken to Naser Hospital. Tarek, who saw their bodies, describes them as follows:
“Hamdi’s face was disfigured and his lower jaw was cut off. His legs were severely torn apart as if they were torn apart by a knife, not live ammunition.
Nader’s abdomen, chest, and legs were injured. His body was torn apart as if it was cut off with a knife especially in his legs.” Nader and Hamdi were buried the next morning.
Talking to DCI in June 2010, Tarek says: “I can’t forget my last call with Nader when he asked me to help him get out from the border. I can’t forget his crying and breathing that I heard through the phone.”
Muhammad Ashraf Abed-Rabo Ghaban 17
Killed 1 mar 2010
Killed 1 mar 2010
Fidaa Talal Salim Heji 17
Killed 11 nov 2009
Fidaa dies in Gaza after waiting two months for a permit to enter Israel for treatment
Fidaa began to suffer from health problems around March 2007, when she was fifteen. Among other things, she lost a lot of weight, about twenty kilos in a month and a half. She was hospitalized in a-Shifaa Hospital, in Gaza City, where they found that her hemoglobin level was very low. She was referred to Nasser Hospital in Egypt, and her mother and I went with her. The physicians there found that she had cancer in her lymph nodes. She received chemotherapy there from 18 April to 28 May 2007. Her condition improved and we returned to Gaza, but a month later, it deteriorated again. She was pale, had trouble walking, and suffered dizzy spells. She couldn't go to high school. Every time these symptoms worsened, we took her to the hospital, where she'd remain for a week or ten days.
A year after we returned from Egypt, Fidaa began to receive chemotherapy treatments at a-Shifaa Hospital. Each time, they hospitalized her for twenty days. She was kept in isolation because her immune system was weak and it was important that she not catch other diseases or inhale germs. After each hospitalization, she went home. This continued until August 2009, when her condition deteriorated drastically. She was hospitalized in isolation and was given painkillers and antibiotics. Her weight dropped from one day to the next. The doctors referred her to Tel Hashomer Hospital (in Israel), where she could get better treatment and undergo a bone-marrow transplant. She was given an appointment there for 23 September 2009. On 10 September, I asked the Liaison Office to issue a permit for Fidaa and her mother to enter Israel, and I gave the officials all the necessary documents: the referral, confirmation of the appointment from Tel Hashomer, medical reports, and copies of their identity cards. More than a week afterwards, a Shabak [Israeli Security Agency] agent from Erez Crossing called to verify the details on the forms. After that conversation, I called the Liaison Office and I also went there. Rif'at Muheisen, the head, told me that the Israelis had not responded. We didn't think it would be a problem to get an entry permit because my niece was a young girl in a dangerous medical condition that required urgent attention. We waited, but the permit didn't come until the day of the appointment.
After that, I asked the Liaison Office to renew the request and make a new appointment with the hospital. Fidaa was given an appointment for 20 October, and on 29 September, I again submitted all the document s to the Liaison Office. Each time I spoke with Rif'at Muheisen, he said that the Israelis had not replied and had not completed the security check. Fidaa's mother cried day and night. Fidaa looked terrible. Seeing her made us very sad. We continued to wait. The new time for the appointment passed too. We made another appointment, this time for 9 November. I submitted another request for an entry permit. We were tense and fearful and kept waiting. Each day, my niece's condition got worse. Her weight dropped to about thirty kilos. She was connected to an inhalator and was hospitalized in isolation. She lived on antibiotics and painkillers.
On 11 November 2009, Fidaa died.
Four days later, on 15 November, an official from the Liaison Office called to tell me that the Israelis had approved Fidaa's entry. We had hoped that Fidaa would be treated and get better. Maybe, if they had given her the permit in time, she would still be with us.
Killed 11 nov 2009
Fidaa dies in Gaza after waiting two months for a permit to enter Israel for treatment
Fidaa began to suffer from health problems around March 2007, when she was fifteen. Among other things, she lost a lot of weight, about twenty kilos in a month and a half. She was hospitalized in a-Shifaa Hospital, in Gaza City, where they found that her hemoglobin level was very low. She was referred to Nasser Hospital in Egypt, and her mother and I went with her. The physicians there found that she had cancer in her lymph nodes. She received chemotherapy there from 18 April to 28 May 2007. Her condition improved and we returned to Gaza, but a month later, it deteriorated again. She was pale, had trouble walking, and suffered dizzy spells. She couldn't go to high school. Every time these symptoms worsened, we took her to the hospital, where she'd remain for a week or ten days.
A year after we returned from Egypt, Fidaa began to receive chemotherapy treatments at a-Shifaa Hospital. Each time, they hospitalized her for twenty days. She was kept in isolation because her immune system was weak and it was important that she not catch other diseases or inhale germs. After each hospitalization, she went home. This continued until August 2009, when her condition deteriorated drastically. She was hospitalized in isolation and was given painkillers and antibiotics. Her weight dropped from one day to the next. The doctors referred her to Tel Hashomer Hospital (in Israel), where she could get better treatment and undergo a bone-marrow transplant. She was given an appointment there for 23 September 2009. On 10 September, I asked the Liaison Office to issue a permit for Fidaa and her mother to enter Israel, and I gave the officials all the necessary documents: the referral, confirmation of the appointment from Tel Hashomer, medical reports, and copies of their identity cards. More than a week afterwards, a Shabak [Israeli Security Agency] agent from Erez Crossing called to verify the details on the forms. After that conversation, I called the Liaison Office and I also went there. Rif'at Muheisen, the head, told me that the Israelis had not responded. We didn't think it would be a problem to get an entry permit because my niece was a young girl in a dangerous medical condition that required urgent attention. We waited, but the permit didn't come until the day of the appointment.
After that, I asked the Liaison Office to renew the request and make a new appointment with the hospital. Fidaa was given an appointment for 20 October, and on 29 September, I again submitted all the document s to the Liaison Office. Each time I spoke with Rif'at Muheisen, he said that the Israelis had not replied and had not completed the security check. Fidaa's mother cried day and night. Fidaa looked terrible. Seeing her made us very sad. We continued to wait. The new time for the appointment passed too. We made another appointment, this time for 9 November. I submitted another request for an entry permit. We were tense and fearful and kept waiting. Each day, my niece's condition got worse. Her weight dropped to about thirty kilos. She was connected to an inhalator and was hospitalized in isolation. She lived on antibiotics and painkillers.
On 11 November 2009, Fidaa died.
Four days later, on 15 November, an official from the Liaison Office called to tell me that the Israelis had approved Fidaa's entry. We had hoped that Fidaa would be treated and get better. Maybe, if they had given her the permit in time, she would still be with us.
Thaer Said Muhammad abu-Ayash 17
Died of his wounds 12 oct 2009
of Beit Omar, near Hebron, died, in al-Ahli Hospital, Hebron, of head wounds sustained March 4 from IDF gunfire during an incursion.
The youth was shot by the army last April and remained in a critical condition until he died on Monday. He was wounded during an invasion carried out by the Israeli army against Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron.
Died of his wounds 12 oct 2009
of Beit Omar, near Hebron, died, in al-Ahli Hospital, Hebron, of head wounds sustained March 4 from IDF gunfire during an incursion.
The youth was shot by the army last April and remained in a critical condition until he died on Monday. He was wounded during an invasion carried out by the Israeli army against Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron.
Heyam Abu Aayesh 17
Killed 2 july 2009 truce violation
of Gaza Valley village, near Gaza City, Gaza, killed by IDF shelling while in her home.
Israeli troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of Gaza Valley village, fired three artillery shells at the area.
One shell landed a few meters away from the house of Kamal 'Abdul 'Aziz Abu 'Aayesh, 52, nearly one kilometer away from the border, wounding him in the left side. The second shell landed on a bedroom in a house belonging to Saleem 'Abdul 'Aziz Abu 'Aayesh, 57, killing his daughter, 17-year-old Heyam.
The father was also lightly wounded by shrapnel to the neck and the right shoulder. The third shell landed near a dairy killing two cows.
Palestinian relatives of Heyam Abu Ayesh, 17, mourn over her body at the morgue of the Al- Aqsa hospital, in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, July 3, 2009. Abu Ayesh was killed in a blast in central Gaza near the Israeli border Thursday, Hamas security officials said, charging that an Israeli tank shell was to blame. The Israeli military said soldiers returned fire after they came under fire from Palestinian militants across the border in central Gaza and that the army was still investigating the incident.
Killed 2 july 2009 truce violation
of Gaza Valley village, near Gaza City, Gaza, killed by IDF shelling while in her home.
Israeli troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of Gaza Valley village, fired three artillery shells at the area.
One shell landed a few meters away from the house of Kamal 'Abdul 'Aziz Abu 'Aayesh, 52, nearly one kilometer away from the border, wounding him in the left side. The second shell landed on a bedroom in a house belonging to Saleem 'Abdul 'Aziz Abu 'Aayesh, 57, killing his daughter, 17-year-old Heyam.
The father was also lightly wounded by shrapnel to the neck and the right shoulder. The third shell landed near a dairy killing two cows.
Palestinian relatives of Heyam Abu Ayesh, 17, mourn over her body at the morgue of the Al- Aqsa hospital, in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, July 3, 2009. Abu Ayesh was killed in a blast in central Gaza near the Israeli border Thursday, Hamas security officials said, charging that an Israeli tank shell was to blame. The Israeli military said soldiers returned fire after they came under fire from Palestinian militants across the border in central Gaza and that the army was still investigating the incident.
Tamer Omar Ismail al-Louh 17
Died of his wounds 21 jan 2009. Cast Lead
of Gaza City, Gaza, died of wounds sustained Jan. 12
Died of his wounds 21 jan 2009. Cast Lead
of Gaza City, Gaza, died of wounds sustained Jan. 12