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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Muslim Feast in Gaza Turns to Massacre |
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| shareefa |
| 12/06/02 at 11:53:31 |
| >:( Muslim Feast in Gaza Turns to Massacre The Palestine Chronicle, Dec. 6, 2002 The Israeli army has reportedly killed ten Palestinian civilians and wounded scores more in the Buraij refugee camp in Gaza. Eyewitnesses told the Palestine Chronicle that over 50 Israeli armored vehicles invaded the camp, located in the center of the impoverished Gaza Strip, and opened fire on civilian homes. "They are killing us, they are killing us," a Palestinian eyewitnesses told the Chronicle by phone from the outskirts of the camp, while sounds of explosions were heard in the background. The eyewitness who requested that his name be withheld, said that the Mosques in the Buraij camp, and the nearby Nusseirat camp called on Palestinians to resist the invading army. Panic-stricken civilians took to the streets as Israeli army gunships began systematic bombardments of the small refugee camp. While some of the wounded are in serious condition, ten have already been confirmed dead, according to hospital reports. Four of those killed are from the same family. Three others were killed by an Israeli missile fired from a US-made Apache helicopter, eyewitnesses said. One of the victims is reportedly an elderly woman who was shot dead. Ahmad Rabah, the head of the Martyrs Hospital in the area said that the Israelis blocked the movement of ambulances, which contributed to the increase in the number of dead. The number of wounded has been estimated at 20, of whom five are in serious condition. "Over half of those killed could have been saved if the Israeli army allowed them transportation to a hospital," Rabah said, adding that five of them were left to bleed to death while the residents put up a good fight to save them. Scores of homes were damaged by the Israeli attack, and several homes were detonated by army explosives. The latest massacre took place while the residents of the camp were celebrating the first day of the Muslim Eid, which follows the holy month of Ramadan. Buraij is a crowded camp, with over 20,000 refugees who were driven from their homes in Palestine in 1948. The camp underwent a massacre in the early 1950's at the hands of an Israeli army unit led by now Israel's Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon. |
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