Los Angles Times
ZAHRA, Gaza Strip -- There is a very thin line between life and death in Gaza. No matter who you are, where you are or how old you are, the Israeli bullets and shrapnel always seem to be waiting.
Two weeks ago, my family was returning home by car when an Israeli tank opened fire toward us. We could discern no reason for the sudden perilous outburst.
It was about 8:30 at night and dark. The car in front of us began to travel in reverse erratically and almost smashed into our vehicle. There was no choice but for us to reverse also to escape death by "accident." The bullets were loud and continuous.
Instantly, I ordered Ghaida, my 6-year-old daughter, to lie on the floor of the car. I did the same with Tariq, my 2-year-old son.When Ghaida understood what was going on, she started to shout hysterically: "The tank, the tank is firing at us, Mommy."
Simultaneously, I was beseeching her not to raise her head.And then my son broke my heart. He had had only seven words in his vocabulary, and yet there he was suddenly articulating dababa, which means tank in Arabic. He did not move despite the shooting, the darkness and the terror that gripped us.
Nasser, my husband, who less than two years ago joined the baseball team of the American organization for which he worked, directed that if he was hit I should continue driving in order to save the children's lives. After an eternity of fearful moments we reached safety at El Sheikh Ejleen mosque.
The following night was no less horrible. Around 11:30 we heard shelling, heavy gunfire and very big explosions. Then the electricity went off, and again there were more explosions. It was now totally dark.We and our neighbors were jailed inside our apartments--cages in the middle of a medium-size prison called Zahra, a town within the larger prison of the Gaza Strip.
When the shootings stopped, we went to sleep without realizing that a brutal killing had taken place. Artillery shells spitting nail-like "flechettes"--courtesy of the United States, according to Jane's Defence Weekly--killed four members of the Al Hajeen family. A woman, her two sons and a cousin sleeping in front of their house in the middle of their fields were slain when an Israeli tank launched its death shell at them. Two hours passed before the ambulance reached them.
This was not the first time such a slaughter has happened in this place and to people who seemingly matter little in the eyes of the world. I fear they will not be the last.
Last year, three Bedouin women from the Al Malalha family were killed in the same place and by the same American-made flechettes. The victims were a mother, her recently married 17-year-old daughter and another relative.
Another neighbor, nurse Abd al Hameed al Khurti, was shot in the same place last year. He was killed immediately after being dropped off by an ambulance.
Time and again, the Israeli government admits a mistake and launches an "investigation." Most recently, an Israeli investigation of three incidents in which 12 civilians were killed whitewashed the reality of the onslaught in my neighborhood and two in the West Bank.
The investigations will not bring back the dead from the Al Khurti, Al Malalha and Al Hajeen families, but a sincere inquest might help to protect innocent civilians in the future. And yet investigations do not get to the heart of the matter. Israel is a colonizing power. It continues to occupy what should be an independent Palestinian state, and it refuses to make any allowance for the rightful return of my family to the home and land we were thrown out of 54 years ago.
Instead, Israel has us pinned in an ever-smaller prison, one in which we shout instructions to our children to keep their heads down so as not to become another "accident" for the Knesset to report to its funders in the U.S. Congress.
I ask you, to whom can I turn? The United Nations' resolutions regarding Israeli actions are on the books but carry no weight. George Bush is too busy applying U.N. resolutions to Iraq to pay our plight much mind.
I ask you, then, on behalf of my son, so that his ninth word might be "peace." But I do not speak of the "peace" of a conquering and occupying Israeli army. I seek a peace rooted in fairness and justice for all the peoples of the region.
Tuesday 17 September 2002
Friday 24 May 2002
A Reply to Mr. Lantos Letter
The Honourable Kofi AnanSecretary
General United NationsNY,
10017USA
Dear Mr, Secretary General,
I am writing to you concerning the letter that the Washington congressman member, Tom Lantos, sent to you regarding UNRWA.I am a Palestinian refugee who lives in one of the eight camps in the Gaza Strip where UNRWA operates. The letter written to you by Mr. Lantos shocked me. And as a third generation of the Palestinians refugees still live in UNRWA camps, I would like to draw the attention of Mr. Lantos and others to these basic facts.
UNRWA does not administer the 27 refugee camps in the Occupied Territories. The camps?administration was the responsibility of the Israeli authorities from 1967 till 1994. In 1994 and as a result of the Oslo accord, this responsibility was transferred to the Palestinian National Authority. UNRWA’s role in these refugee camps is to provide a humanitarian aid and assistance to Palestinians refugees living inside or outside these camps.
As we all know, it is not UNRWA’s camps, as Mr. Lantos claims, which have "fostered a culture of anger" among the refugees. It is not UNRWA which "undermines both regional peace and well-being of camps?inhabitants". The culture of anger was fostered as a result of frustration and long waiting of the promised peace. It comes from denying the ambulances reaching the wounded people and leaving them bleeding slowly to death. It comes when your son, brother neighbour are being murdered before your eyes at their homes only for committing the "crime" of being Palestinians. It comes from the humiliation of people daily at checkpoints. It comes when the illegal settler’s car, which carries vegetables, has the priority to cross before an ambulance with an emergency case. My 11 months son was left on the checkpoint between Khan Younis and Gaza for 10 hours without water or milk at mid summer. Can you imagine this happens by the "only democracy of the Middle East"?The one who "undermines the regional peace" is the one that prevents a UN inquiry to investigate what had happened in the camps. An international inquiry will reveal many facts that were hidden by cancelling it and will answer many of Mr lantons questions. To support the regional peace, UNRWA has launched many initiatives. Needles to say the Peace Implementation Programme.
The raising of the Palestinian struggle against the ongoing occupation was a result of the continuity of this occupation and the barbaric Israeli means used towards the Palestinians. Not only in the camps in which UNRWA operates, that struggle-took place, but also in all cities, villages at the rest of the OT even in those inside the state of Israel. Will Mr. Lantos accuse UNRWA for this also? Or will he say that the Israeli government has a direct involvement with terror.
To struggle against a foreign occupation that not only has stolen your land, destroyed your home, past and present but your future as well, is a legitimate right enshrined in all international laws. The issue of the Palestinian refugee and the UNRWA camps where most of the refugees live is deeper more what Mr Lantos tried to put it.
It might be that "57 Israelis were killed" as Mr. Lantos claimed as a result of suicide attacks comes from Jenin camp during the last 20 months camp but does he know how many Palestinian were killed in Jenin during the Israeli offensive. Or how many Palestinian civilians including children were killed by the IDF so far. If Mr. Lantos or any one cares about those who died or those who still alive in the UNRWA’s camps or in Israel he would have worked for solving their problem that still stand since long time.
The deep concern of Mr. Lantons that UNRWA "is perpetuating rather than ameliorating the Palestinian refugees" is a totally false premise. As everyone knows, the organisation was created in 1949 in a short-term mandate, subsequently renewed on a regular basis given the inability of the UN to implement the 194 resolution of Dec 1948 calling for the return & compensation for the Palestinian refugees. If Mr. Lantos is worried about the work of the UNRWA he should raise the issue of using the UNRWA instalments in the camps like schools for instance, for Palestinian people detentions. When the 194 resolution will be implemented then the General Assembly will be deciding its future. And we wish that Mr Lantos could help us to solve our problem being a US congress member.
I refute Mr. Lantos speech about the camps and the "wellbeing of the camps?inhabitants". He is not one of the camp inhabitants; therefore, he should not speak on behalf of us. I wonder if he has been once to one of these camps. Only those who live in the camps and still can tell what is the life in the camp looks like. They also can tell about the great help provided by UNRWA for them and for the so-called "regional peace".
I really wonder how Mr. Lantos reached his conclusion that UNRWA "directly or indirectly is complicit in terrorism"? On which sources did he rely to build his assumption and conclusion? If it depends on one-side sources I can say alas for a congressman like him to do so. And simply before giving any judgement one should prove it. This is what I learned all my life.
His letter to you reminded me of the Jerusalem Post editorial (April 15) headed "Abolish UNRWA" in which it claimed that the UNRWA has became a "de facto accomplice to terrorism" and that was proven by the IDF incursion into Balata camp last March. It alleges that UNRWA foods?storage in the camp" have been allowed to become munitions?depots and weapons?factories. Later it was found that UNRWA has no food storage areas in Balata camp at all.
This attack on UNRWA makes one wonder whether UNRWA’s name will be added to new edition of the axis of Evil or the black listed organisations involved in what US call "terror".
Mr. Lantos stated that the credibility of the UN is at stake. And I can add that not only the UN credibility but of the humanity as a whole is at the stake. But it is not for the reasons that he mentioned. But rather for the tremendous violations and the war crimes that took place and still in the OT horrible beyond belief.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you on behalf of the four generations of Palestinian refugees living in UNRWA areas for the tremendous efforts you have done and still doing to help my people. We do still expect more to be done to find and implement a durable solution for our problem, the Palestine refugee problem. I am still waiting to return to my home at my village Beit Daras, which was, destroyed, and occupied, by Israel in 1948.
Thank you,Ghada Ageel
PhD student
University of Exeter
Politics department
EX2 5ED
Exeter - UK
General United NationsNY,
10017USA
Dear Mr, Secretary General,
I am writing to you concerning the letter that the Washington congressman member, Tom Lantos, sent to you regarding UNRWA.I am a Palestinian refugee who lives in one of the eight camps in the Gaza Strip where UNRWA operates. The letter written to you by Mr. Lantos shocked me. And as a third generation of the Palestinians refugees still live in UNRWA camps, I would like to draw the attention of Mr. Lantos and others to these basic facts.
UNRWA does not administer the 27 refugee camps in the Occupied Territories. The camps?administration was the responsibility of the Israeli authorities from 1967 till 1994. In 1994 and as a result of the Oslo accord, this responsibility was transferred to the Palestinian National Authority. UNRWA’s role in these refugee camps is to provide a humanitarian aid and assistance to Palestinians refugees living inside or outside these camps.
As we all know, it is not UNRWA’s camps, as Mr. Lantos claims, which have "fostered a culture of anger" among the refugees. It is not UNRWA which "undermines both regional peace and well-being of camps?inhabitants". The culture of anger was fostered as a result of frustration and long waiting of the promised peace. It comes from denying the ambulances reaching the wounded people and leaving them bleeding slowly to death. It comes when your son, brother neighbour are being murdered before your eyes at their homes only for committing the "crime" of being Palestinians. It comes from the humiliation of people daily at checkpoints. It comes when the illegal settler’s car, which carries vegetables, has the priority to cross before an ambulance with an emergency case. My 11 months son was left on the checkpoint between Khan Younis and Gaza for 10 hours without water or milk at mid summer. Can you imagine this happens by the "only democracy of the Middle East"?The one who "undermines the regional peace" is the one that prevents a UN inquiry to investigate what had happened in the camps. An international inquiry will reveal many facts that were hidden by cancelling it and will answer many of Mr lantons questions. To support the regional peace, UNRWA has launched many initiatives. Needles to say the Peace Implementation Programme.
The raising of the Palestinian struggle against the ongoing occupation was a result of the continuity of this occupation and the barbaric Israeli means used towards the Palestinians. Not only in the camps in which UNRWA operates, that struggle-took place, but also in all cities, villages at the rest of the OT even in those inside the state of Israel. Will Mr. Lantos accuse UNRWA for this also? Or will he say that the Israeli government has a direct involvement with terror.
To struggle against a foreign occupation that not only has stolen your land, destroyed your home, past and present but your future as well, is a legitimate right enshrined in all international laws. The issue of the Palestinian refugee and the UNRWA camps where most of the refugees live is deeper more what Mr Lantos tried to put it.
It might be that "57 Israelis were killed" as Mr. Lantos claimed as a result of suicide attacks comes from Jenin camp during the last 20 months camp but does he know how many Palestinian were killed in Jenin during the Israeli offensive. Or how many Palestinian civilians including children were killed by the IDF so far. If Mr. Lantos or any one cares about those who died or those who still alive in the UNRWA’s camps or in Israel he would have worked for solving their problem that still stand since long time.
The deep concern of Mr. Lantons that UNRWA "is perpetuating rather than ameliorating the Palestinian refugees" is a totally false premise. As everyone knows, the organisation was created in 1949 in a short-term mandate, subsequently renewed on a regular basis given the inability of the UN to implement the 194 resolution of Dec 1948 calling for the return & compensation for the Palestinian refugees. If Mr. Lantos is worried about the work of the UNRWA he should raise the issue of using the UNRWA instalments in the camps like schools for instance, for Palestinian people detentions. When the 194 resolution will be implemented then the General Assembly will be deciding its future. And we wish that Mr Lantos could help us to solve our problem being a US congress member.
I refute Mr. Lantos speech about the camps and the "wellbeing of the camps?inhabitants". He is not one of the camp inhabitants; therefore, he should not speak on behalf of us. I wonder if he has been once to one of these camps. Only those who live in the camps and still can tell what is the life in the camp looks like. They also can tell about the great help provided by UNRWA for them and for the so-called "regional peace".
I really wonder how Mr. Lantos reached his conclusion that UNRWA "directly or indirectly is complicit in terrorism"? On which sources did he rely to build his assumption and conclusion? If it depends on one-side sources I can say alas for a congressman like him to do so. And simply before giving any judgement one should prove it. This is what I learned all my life.
His letter to you reminded me of the Jerusalem Post editorial (April 15) headed "Abolish UNRWA" in which it claimed that the UNRWA has became a "de facto accomplice to terrorism" and that was proven by the IDF incursion into Balata camp last March. It alleges that UNRWA foods?storage in the camp" have been allowed to become munitions?depots and weapons?factories. Later it was found that UNRWA has no food storage areas in Balata camp at all.
This attack on UNRWA makes one wonder whether UNRWA’s name will be added to new edition of the axis of Evil or the black listed organisations involved in what US call "terror".
Mr. Lantos stated that the credibility of the UN is at stake. And I can add that not only the UN credibility but of the humanity as a whole is at the stake. But it is not for the reasons that he mentioned. But rather for the tremendous violations and the war crimes that took place and still in the OT horrible beyond belief.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you on behalf of the four generations of Palestinian refugees living in UNRWA areas for the tremendous efforts you have done and still doing to help my people. We do still expect more to be done to find and implement a durable solution for our problem, the Palestine refugee problem. I am still waiting to return to my home at my village Beit Daras, which was, destroyed, and occupied, by Israel in 1948.
Thank you,Ghada Ageel
PhD student
University of Exeter
Politics department
EX2 5ED
Exeter - UK
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Palestinian refugees sit at Khan Younis refugee camp
