News from Palestine

Baby Babbling, Innocent Laughing Gone with the Wind
By: Sami Abu Salem

GAZA,(WAFA)- The 15-year-old Somaia Okal ignored her sister, Maria , who was requesting her to leave the swing for her, while their mother Asma 30, was playing with her 8-month-old infant Shad, in Jabalia, north of Gaza.

Suddenly, an Israeli shell hit Wednesday their house and put an end to the laughing and babbling of the innocent Maria and Shahd. The mother also was killed and Somaia was critically wounded in the head and the 5-year-old, Amani, wounded in the foot.

Samir Okal 35, the father of seven, did not expect that the Israeli tanks will hit his house as he lives in the "serene" neighbourhood of Abd Rabbu. Even his relatives wanted to leave their homes and to accommodate at his house because it enjoys "safety."

Okal could not stop crying while telling how he lost his wife and two of his little daughters. "We had our lunch together, then we realised that Israeli tanks shell our neighbourhood. I closed the window and took my family to the garden in the front of the house."

Okal and his wife tried to calm down their children. The wife played with her baby and Somaia was playing with a swing while Maria was waiting for her round.

"A shell hit the wall of the garden, I did not see anything because of the intensive dust filled the place. I did not see my children or my wife, second after, I heard the moaning of the baby and the sighing of my wife."

When the dust has vanished, Samir got crazy when he saw that blood covered his wife and children. He carried the baby and ran out of the garden. The mother was observing her children with breathing the last ones.

Some neighbours arrived the scene and carried the rest of the family in a private vehicle.

Eyewitness, Eid Okal, the cousin of Samir, said he saw: "Somaia lain under the olive tree near the swing while blood streaming from her head. Maria was under the window and the mother near the smashed chair."

In Awda Hospital, north of Gaza, Okal was unconsciously moving between the rooms, following up their cases. Maria and Shahd were instantly killed and the wife joined them minutes after. Somaia, carried to the Intensive Care Unit after being hit with shrapnel in the head.

The mother and her two little daughters were among 30 citizens killed during the Israeli bombarding of separate areas north and east of Gaza.

It was not easy to reach the house in the neighbourhood which seemed occupied by ghosts. The gunshots and shelling were still echoing in the streets.

Most of Okal's neighbours left their houses to avoid the indiscriminate shells and gunshots. They refuged to what they think would be more safe, like relatives, friends houses or public institutions.

Mr. Jamal Hammad, Head of Media Department at UNRWA in Gaza, said that more than 100 families left their houses and lived at its schools north of Gaza.

Other families stayed at their homes as they believe that no more security every where as long as the Israeli tanks, jets, and military boats target every thing even houses.

Near the condolence net, Okal's knees gave in and slowly he fell down when the corpses of his two little children and wife arrived in two ambulances.

He could not stop his tears while recalling either his wife who encouraged and supported him in building new house, or his children.

"We used enjoying the babbling of Shahd whose teeth have begun to appear," he said.

Maria was eager to the new school year as she wanted to go to a kindergarten carrying new bag. And Somaia also insisted her father to buy new clothes and a bag for the new school year which will begin a month later.

The wife has passed away with her infant, no more babbling. Maria will never ever go to the kindergarten or to enjoy her new bag. Somaia, who was forced by the shell to leave the swing, does not know what happened to her sisters and mother, and still suffering her critical wounds at the intensive care unit.

IOF Arrests 8 Citizens in WB

(WAFA)- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested Monday 8 citizens in the West Bank(WB) cities of Nablus, Tulkarem and Bethlehem, security sources and witnesses said.

The sources said that three citizens were arrested as IOF thrust into the city of Nablus.

Witnesses said that an Israeli unit broke into a gas station and arrested three citizens and led them to an undisclosed place.

Three other citizens were arrested by IOF in the city of Tulkarem. Witnesses said Israeli troops broke into the neighborhood of Iktaba and arrested three.

Two other citizens were arrested in Bethlehem and Qalqilia, security sources said.


MPA: 10073 Prisoners in Israeli Jails
(WAFA)- Ministry of Prisoners Affairs (MPA) said that the number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails is 10073 including children and young women.

In a report issued Monday, the MPA stated that 600 prisoners, including 27 parliamentarians and 7 Ministers were arrested on June 25, 2006.

MPA added that there are 100 child prisoners in Hasharon jail and 112 woman prisoners inside Israeli jail as well as 11 patients. The prisoners are banned from family visit.

It revealed that Palestinian prisoners have been subjected to daily torture such as putting them inside refrigerators, depriving them of sleeping as well as beating them up. While Dozens of them have been suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer, heart problems, respiratory difficulties, spinal cord and back diseases.


ISESCO Condemns Israeli Continuing Aggression against Palestine, Lebanon

(WAFA)- The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) has strongly condemned the Israeli continuing aggression against Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, and the appalling massacre of Qana, where innocent civilians, especially children and women, perished, facilities and infrastructure destroyed, and relief and refugee convoys shelled.

ISESCO called upon the States of the Islamic world to enforce the resolutions issued by the OIC Third Extraordinary Summit Conference, held in Makkah al-Mukarrama in December 2005, which stipulate the need for solidarity among OIC Member States to face immediate and imminent challenges and threats

In its communiqué, ISESCO stated that the Israeli barbaric aggression against Lebanon and Palestine, destroys civilian facilities and infrastructure, kills and displaces citizens, destroys their houses, shells relief convoys, is an extremely dangerous challenge that requires a solid, strong stand to deter it and to foil its criminal expansionist plans which aim to tear out the States of the Islamic world, sow anarchy within them and ultimately subject them to the Israeli colonial hegemony.

ISESCO called upon the international community and its specialised institutions to condemn and immediately halt the Israeli barbaric onslaught and to bring its perpetrators to justice for their heinous crimes against humanity, which pose serious threats to peace and stability in the world.


Israeli HR Organisation Condemns Israel's War Crimes in Lebanon, Gaza
(WAFA)- Arab Association for Human Rights, in Israel, (HRA) strongly condemned Israel's war crimes massacres and blatant breaches of international law in Lebanon and Gaza.

In a press release issued Monday HRA stressed that Israel should not be allowed to stand above international standards and law.

The HRA stated "we thereby urgently call on the EU and UN to take clear positions condemning the current breaches of international law and to activate the existing mechanisms (Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Article 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention) for an urgent and immediate international ruling to impose a ceasefire and to enable effective transfer of humanitarian aid to the needy."

It asserted that the given recent developments it is increasingly urgent that the UN establish an international commission for enquiry into the war crimes committed by Israel since its assault on Lebanon began on July 12.

"In this moment, the want for international action is dire, at stake are not only the lives of innocent civilians but also the credibility of humanitarian morals and international values that have been held ransom by the belligerent forces of international politics and war machines," HRA said.

The HRA's statement issued after the Israeli attack on Qana , south of Lebanon, which killed more than 60 civilians, the majority of whom were children, and the Israeli continued shelling of Gaza.

"The massacre in Qana has brought the death toll to over 750 in Lebanon, the majority of who are civilians. In addition, as Israel's crimes of collective punishment in Gaza continue, more than 160 Palestinians, also chiefly civilians, have been killed," HRA said.

It appealed to the international community to act towards an immediate cessation of violence and for Israel to comply with its obligations to international law.

PCHR Addresses Israeli Attorney on Policy of Informing Palestinians before Destroying their Houses

(WAFA)- Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) addressed Sunday the appeal department at the Israeli attorney general office concerning the policy of informing about the intention of Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) to destroy Palestinian houses shortly before the destruction takes place, expressing its protest to this policy.

In a press release issued Monday, PCHR said it attached three conclusions to its letter concerning informing Palestinians before their houses were destroyed by warplanes:

1. The short time, less than one hour, offered by IOF to Palestinians to evacuate their houses before they are destroyed deprives these Palestinians of their right to take legal steps to appeal against the destruction of their houses.

2. The short time offered by IOF, when they inform families by phone that their houses would be destroyed, does not allow these families to take their belongings out. These houses do not pose a direct threat against Israel or its occupation forces. Additionally, the destruction of these houses is an imminent military necessity that can never be postponed, especially as warplanes are employed to destroy houses, thus raising questions concerning the real goal of destroying those houses without offering their owners enough time to vacate them. It is worth noting that Israel has sent dozens of warnings to demolish houses, causing confusion and pressure on the Palestinian civilian population.

3. The destruction of houses is based on intelligence reports, which can be inaccurate or out of date and often do not justify attacks on civilians and their property. Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the destruction of real or personal property, "except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations." The legal interpretation of this article implies that the destruction of houses or any other civilian facility can only take place during military operations or clashes, only if such houses or facilities pose direct threats to the occupying power's troops and there is no means to prevent a security threat other than attacking such houses or civilian facilities. These conditions are not met with regard to houses located away from areas of clashes, and additionally, these houses never threat the security of Israel and its troops.

PCHR also pointed out that IOF do not hesitate to harm innocent civilians and attack their property, even though the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits harming civilians or attacking their property.

The Center further expressed deep concerns over the destruction of multi-storey buildings, where many people live, by Israel depending on intelligence reports, without allowing families to vacate their houses or appealing against the destruction itself.

IOF practiced the policy of informing Palestinians by phone of their intention to destroy houses shortly before the actual destruction of houses takes place since July 23, 2006. Since that day, IOF have destroyed 10 houses using this method. In all cases, Israel has not provided any evidence that could justify the destruction of those houses. Since the beginning of the current Palestinian Intifada, IOF have destroyed thousands of Palestinian houses.

It is worth noting that the demand submitted by PCHR is a preliminary one before referring to the Israeli High Court, in an attempt to achieve justice and reparation for the Palestinian civilian population.


Deported British MP Attacks 'Outrageous' Treatment by Israeli Officials
WAFA) - A British Labour MP deported from Israel while attempting to deliver books to a children's library in Ramallah attacked Monday the "outrageous" interrogation she was subjected to.

The Guardian Daily reported that Lynne Jones was with eight charity workers on a scheduled trip to the West Bank, but were turned back after 11 hours questioning at Tel Aviv airport without being allowed into the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Birmingham, the MP for the city's Selly Oak constituency told reporters: "It was quite a nightmare."

"We were kept for 11 hours without being offered any food or drink other than water," she said. "It was quite outrageous to suggest we were in any way a security risk - our mission was of peace and reconciliation."

Jones added "this visit has been planned since last year when a similar visit had to be cancelled because the same thing happened to the women involved. I got involved because of what happened last year."