IMEMC Weekly Report from Palestine

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5:52 MP3 Report from Palestine for the week Dec. 17-24, 2004

The Israeli army has been attacking western Khan Yunis refugee camp with tanks, missiles, shells and bulldozers in an assault that has continued, on and off, since december seventeenth. the first two days of the assault resulted in eleven dead, thirty nine wounded and at least 200 people left homeless after dozens of homes were destroyed. The assault continued sporadically throughout the week, and spread to northern Gaza, where missiles fired at heavily populated areas caused a number of injuries, and damaged a number of homes. On Wednesday, three Palestinians were killed in Khan Yunis camp when the Israeli army shot into a crowd, and on Thursday, two were killed by a missile, also in Khan Yunis. Al Hajji witnessed the event:
<"All we was a shell coming from the air, making the sound "pop!", stones were falling on the ground .. the children were sitting upstairs, where they were living, Oh God, Oh God ....they were living there - upstairs. As soon as I heard that loud bomb I screamed, then I saw the metal opening, the stones and human flesh shreds just spread everywhere"

The people of Khanyounis have asked for international support to stop the Isareli incursions, but have received no response from the United Nations or anyone in the International Community.

This week in occupied Palestine, including both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, At least 19 people have been killed by the Israeli army. 66 people have been injured, including at least twelve children. At least 48 homes have been destroyed by the Israeli army, and hundreds more damaged during thirty-nine separate military invasions of Palestinian towns. At least seventy-nine Palestinians have been arrested this week, and two Americans woman arrested last week at a protest against the Israeli annexation wall remain in Israeli prison. Major checkpoints have been closed at least six times, and the main roads in the Gaza strip remain under military closure, with thousands of people prevented from going to work or school.

Most of the people injured this week are from Khan Yunis refugee camp, in Gaza, and are being treated in Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The hospital has been shelled numerous times this week, and one wall of the hospital has been completely destroyed. The Israeli army targeted the hospital on Wednesday with a missile dropped from an american-made Apache helicopter.

Three israeli soldiers were injured on december 17th when palestinian resistance fighters fired at soldiers in a tank who were invading khan yunis camp.

The latest deaths have brought the overall toll since the September 2000 start of the al-Aqsa Intifada to well over 3500 Palestinians, about 20% of whom are children. 970 Israelis have also died in the same period.

Over the past week, At least 48 palestinian homes have been completely destroyed, mostly in Khan Yunis refugee camp. Ali Abu-Zurka is a twelve year old child who lives in Khan Yunis with his five brothers and sisters.
<" My Name is Ali Abu Zarka, while I was sleeping the Israelis invaded the camp and announced by louder speakers " evacuate houses". We were sleepy and we took the school as a shelter -- at that time that there was a strong wind, and very chilly weather. When we went back to our house after the army withdrew we found our homes were completely demolished">

Ali's family has taken refuge, along with dozens of other families, at a United Nations sponsored school in Khan Yunis. He is one of thousands of Palestinians whose homes have been destroyed by the Israeli army over the last four years of the current conflict. The Mughrabes are another family who have had their home destroyed by the Israeli army three times -- as punishment for having family members in jail. The family is afraid to rebuild, and are currently living in a manger in Bethlehem. Umm Mughrabe:

The mayor of Bethlehem this week issued a statement challenging the international Christian community to stand up to the injustices suffered daily by the residents of Bethlehem.