Ricevo dalla mailing list dell'ISM. Con preghiera di diffusione e
traduzione. e' la testimonianza diretta degli attivisti presenti a Rafah con
Tom.
Elisabetta
Yebna, Rafah
Israeli soldiers shoot another ISM activist in the head
Between 4:30 and 5:00 PM today Israeli snipers shot another ISM activist
in the head. Tom Hundall from Manchester Britain is currently in critical
condition in a helicopter on his way from Europa Hospital in Khan Younis to
a hospital in Bir Sheva. He is 22 years old.
According to Laura, the activists were being shot at while protecting some
children from Israeli gunfire. Tom was in plain view of the sniper towers
and was wearing a bright orange fluorescent jacket with reflective stripes.
The nine ISM activists and many children were in the process of leaving the
area. Sniper fire from the tower was hitting the wall close beside the
children, who were afraid to move. Tom was attempting to bring them to
safety when he was shot. There was no shooting or resistance coming from
the Palestinian side at all.
According to Laura, the plan had been to put up a tent where a tank parks
itself every night in front of a Mosque. The soldiers in the tank shoot down
the street, terrorizing people who come to pray. The group had discovered
earlier that the tank was already in place and had begun firing into the
air. The Palestinian organizers felt the plan had become unworkeable, and
the action was abandoned.
Laura and two Palestinians decided to go assess the situation. She soon
realized that the tank had moved from where it had been. It was now
possible to set up the tent. She spoke to Tom D by phone and they decided to
meet at the roadblock. The Israeli snipers in the eastern tower began
shooting in Lauras path.
When they arrived at the roadblock, the rest of the group was already there.
The snipers began firing again: this time at the wall of the building next
to the activists. As a result, the group began the process of leaving.
Tom saw a little boy in an open space, clearly visible to the tower. Tom
went to get him out of the way. He looked back and saw two more girls whom
he also went to retrieve. As he went to get them, he was shot in the back of
the head. He fell to the ground in a pool of blood. The ambulance arrived
quickly, after about two minutes.
For years the Israeli army has killed Palestinian civilians with impunity.
Now they are targeting unarmed international peace activists and human
rights workers. On March 16, Rachel Corrie was run over and killed by a
bulldozer operator in Rafah while trying to prevent home demolitions. On
April 5, in Jenin, Brian Avery was shot in the face by an APC in an
unprovoked attack on a clearly unarmed group of internationals. Six months
ago in Jenin, Caoimhe Butterly was shot in the leg and UN official Ian Hook
was murdered.
We ask the world community to stand up and demand that Israel honor
international agreements protecting civilians, whether they are
internationals or Palestinians, and hold Israel accountable for these crimes
against humanity. And we demand an end to the illegal and brutal occupation
that these murders defend.
For more information contact:
Allison 067 742 780
Raf 054 389 466
Nick 055 874 693
Alice 067 857 069
Tom
ISM Media Coordinator
Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestine
02-277-4602
067-862-439
052-360-241
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