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October 1, 2003:
Mohammed's younger brother Issam was seriously injured and was taken to the hospital about a week ago. His leg was amputated and he is undergoing medical treatment.

October 18, 2003:
Mohammad's younger brother, Hussam Al-Mouhagir [17 yrs old], was killed by the Israeli army today. Hussam was sitting at home when he was shot in the face, chest, back, legs. He had nothing to do with any violent or even political movement. Hussam's crime is that he was a Palestinian.
— The webmaster

RAFAH TODAY

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24 September 04

Imagine 27 years in a man's life—moment bymoment, day by day, month by month and year by year. Thinkof all that can happen in that time—family, friends,school, work, the extraordinary moments, the ordinary, eventhe dull ones. Can you put a price tag on that life? Inmuch of the world, life insurance companies do justthat—they can show you charts and tables suggesting howmany hundreds of thousands of insurance death benefitdollars a 27-year-old should carry.

It's not like that in Rafah. One evening this 27-year-old man steps outside his own house in West Rafah—just outside—for a cigarette, perhaps, or a breath of fresh air on a hot night. Some distance away in the dark, a well-armed total stranger looks through the crosshairs of his telescopic sight and squeezes off a single shot. One bullet, one shot, found its mark in Hussan Abu Najja's head. If you hold a spent bullet in your hand—and by now, many people in Rafah have done so, picked up them off the street, inside t heir own houses, or from the bodies of their loved ones—a bullet is a simple, even a silly thing. Doesn't cost much from the factory. But it destroys not just human brains, organs and bones, but rips entire families apart. And shooting it is apparently quite easy for those IDF soldiers in their sniper towers.

Once that bullet exploded in Hussan's brain, once he died after lingering a few days with his mortal injuries, there was nothing for his younger brothers and sisters but to talk to him on his bier, in his grave. Can the dead help those they love who are left behind? Perhaps at least they listen to the suffering, pains and sorrow of those children. "I want my bother now, why did they shoot him? Wake up, Hussam" shouted Hussan's 11-year-old sister. Thousands attended Hussan's funeral today and protested this war crime.

Pens and keyboards are almost unable to count accurately how many attacks Rafah has suffered in the past few days: an incursion in the east of Rafah; bulldozers are demolishing h ouses in the south, shelling on the borderline—almost constant shelling on the border-- small incursion near the Israeli settlements, and Apaches hovering in sky. The Israeli bulldozers demolished two houses in the north of Rafah Camp, as well as destroying the water well that provides the north of Rafah with clean water. We are facing daily shelling and militant buildup everywhere, in addition to the continues apaches hovering over Rafah sky.

23 September: Yesterday, three Palestinian gunmen invaded Morag settlement, leaving three Israeli soldiers dead before being killed themselves. The Palestinians were from three different militant factions. Loud speakers in Rafah announced this incident as part of ongoing clashes with the Israeli border soldiers who are massing near the Israeli settlements close ton Rafah. The bodies of the three Palestinian gunmen have still not been delivered to their families, and the Israeli Army began demolishing the area around the settlement, razing land and destroying houses. People had to leave due to heavy shelling.

< font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">24 September: Khan Younis: Hundreds attended the funeral of 10 year old Raghda Al Assar, shot in the head last week while she was in her classroom. UNRWA has made an official protest against such indiscriminate shooting that targets schools full of primary school children. The mourners condemned the incident and ask the international community and the world to see what Israel is doing—and which their governments are either supporting or failing to condemn.

18 September 04

"I have 10 mouths to feed, and they are waiting for me and I don't know what to do after my house has been demolished."

Demolishing buildings, shedding blood, and blocking roads is everyday life at Rafah Refugee Camp. The recent incursion was in Al S hau't area where Apache warplanes accompanied by 12 tanks and 3 bulldozers began invading the area with very massive shelling. The troops later withdrew from the area but not before blowing up two buildings, each with 4 floors, belonging to Fathi Shuman and Marie families.

"I got up after hearing bulldozers reversing noises, then we realized something hitting the wall of our house," said a member of one of the those families sitting in the rubble of his house. A few days later one of the Israeli tanks parked near RafehYam Israeli settlement fired a tank shell at one of the buildings, leaving 3 brothers from one family injured.

According to Abu Youisf Al Najjar hospital, the three brothers Rafat Abu Said (10), Mohammed (5) and their brother Khalil Abu Said (14) were injured by a tank shell. Two of the children's injured were describ ed as serious while the third had a slight injury.

This morning also, 13 year old Salim Sheik Al Eid was injured during random shelling from tanks and watching posts based in the Western of Ra fah.

School evacuations

Raghda is now lying in intensive care. She was shot in the head by an Israeli bullet as she sat in her classroom

All the schoolboys, teachers and every one had to leave the school when Israeli tanks began shooting at the school in Western Rafah City. Again, Israeli tanks began targeting one of the Al Omaria UNRWA primary school in West of Rafah. It should be mentioned that tens of schoolboys and students were killed and injured during the past three years and the last one was Raghda Al Assar (10), injured at Khanyounis City, when a bullet struck her head and she is now laying at the Intensive Care Unit at Naser hospital.

Al Assar's colleague and friend, who shared the same desk with her said:"We were listening carefully to out English language teacher's explanat ion when shooting began outside. Suddenly, I saw Raghda putting her right hand on her head and screaming, then she fell to the floor.

12 September 04

Call from a Palestinian mother to All people of conscience in the world: the mother of the Palestinian prisoner Ismail Shakshak from Rafah appeals to all the human rights organizations, international community, Red Cross and all free people in all over the world, to save the life of her son who was transferred to Al Ramleh hospital after his health deteriorated.

" My son's health is deteriorating after Israel extended the period to be in Jail for the eight times" the mother of Ismail Shakshak said. "A doctor from Red Cross visited my son recently, and said that he might have stomach cancer and other diseases"

Ismail Shakshak is one of hundreds of prisoners who are still continuing their "empty stomachs battle", as other numbers of prisoners stop it after they get promises from the Israeli government to gave them some of their rights, but hundreds are still not believing the Israeli promises and they preferred to go ahead in their hunger strike.

Hot Boiled Cooking Oil!!!!

Shakshak's mother mentioned that her son was transferred to the hospital three months ago after of the criminal Israeli prisoners spill the hot boiled cooking oil on the head, face and abdomen in the jail.

"Transferring my son with the criminal Israeli prisoners again is very dangerous for his life", said Shakshak's mother.

Two Israeli bulldozers accompanied by other numbers of tanks invaded Western Rafah and demolished 2 houses owned by Mari'e Abu Gharara and Yassir Abu Gharara, that thing which make the street is the only shelter for bothe families.

Also before withdrawing from the area, they demolished two poultry farms owned by Ahmed Abu Ghara and Kamal Abu Jazar. Two days ago, thousands of mournaers participated in the funeral of Hasan Abu Lebdeh 18 years old who was killed during the last incursion by a tank shell.

7 September 04

Students are back to their sc hools in Rafah and all Palestine camps

Fishermen from Gaza showing what he has for his children for today, "The Occupation has a different taste on the beach" he said

Schools have started again in Palestine and students are coming back from all camps in a new school year.

Most of the pupils concern is how to get to the school and not to get shot or killed, as Palestine history is full of tragic events that happen to the children, as so many of them get killed while they were in their classrooms. Others get killed on their way to their schools, and others were killed by bomb which can be shown as toys in the streets, as it happen two years ago when a group of school children found a children's toy which exploded in their hands, leaving one killed and others seriously injured. Waled Mansour, a 13 year old schoolboy, was one of those victims who became a paralyzed by that way..

According to some educational sources, about 1 million and 50391 students from all Palestinians Cities and Camps got back from their summer vacation to new school year.

The students are coming back to their schools and the homeless families, as a result left the UNRWA schools that they has the only shelters after demolishing their homes, as many of the families left living in tents, with relatives and some few whom were lucky were able to find some apartment to live in, bu t finding apartment in Gaza is something difficult for the moment, if it's not impossible, because of the large numbers of homeless families and the high costs of renting the houses, where the very simple apartment costs around $ 100 dollars per month.

Still the blood shedding Israeli program is well organized against Rafah citizens and it's land, where more and more houses gets demolished, but this time, the story is quite different , and the soldiers are discovering new ways to torture people only because they are Palestinians.

Playing Soccer in Rafah:

His dreams of being a good soccer was killed , but he himself also was killed while he was playing soccer in the playground. All his guilt is that he was playing with other boys soccer in Western Rafah of Tal Al Sultan neighborhood, where tens of football boys were playing. It's the 16 years old Munier Al Sundi , whom his ambitious was only to join international soccer teams, but unfortunately that ambitious was ended at Abu Youisf Al Najjar hospital, when his body arrived after being killed by more than 5 bullets in his body..

Other player who was not able to escape and get injured also was 17 years old Zeyad Al Dahoudi, as he arrived the hospital after being injured in his abdomen, left leg and right arm as well, as Drs at the hospital describes his injured by seriously injured..

Eyewitnesses and one of the payers who escaped when he heard the shooting, said:" It was quiet and there was no need for shooting, we were having a good game" "it was very good to get out and to spend sometime playing soccer, but how can we enjoy playing in our land with those occupier" the player said.. in Rafah beach which is closed for 4 years for now, and no one is able to move to the beach for swimming or fishing expect some families whom are surrounded in Al Mawsi area and not allowed to get out from that areas, those people appeals to international organizations for food and aid many times, but as usual no respond, that's why they had to work in fishing and agriculture.. eyewitnesses by phone assumed that the Israeli Army arrested three fishermen, while they were brining food from the beach to their families, as those are : Ibrahim Al Barhawil and his brother Ayman, and Mohammed Al Najjar. As the three men were arrested and drove to unworn areas.

1 September 04

Palestinians women and children protesting in support of the prisoners in the Israeli jails

After 3 hours of bleeding in his surrounded home, he was killed and ambulances were unable to reach him. . This is 14 year old Majed Al Agha from Al Barahma district, West of Rafah, killed during the first hours of the incursion that targeted civilians homes.

Khaled AL Baiom, 39, was seriously injured in his head during heavy shelling in the area.

Over 200 olives trees were demolished during an incursion that targeted what remained of the agricultural zones. Bulldozers and tanks moved from that area into Khanyounis City killing Yassir Al Najjar during heavy random shelling..

The story of the prisoners is still continuing. Tens of hunger strikers... They had heard of the death of a Palestinian woman in the West Bank as a result of the strike, but the children and their families are insisting on continuing their hunger strike untill they get their basic rights according to international law.

T he number of people participating in the hunger strike is increasing day by day, and the tents which support the protest of the prisoners are still standing everywhere in Gaza Strip streets.

Palestinian families are accusing the Palestinian Authority of inaction about the prisoners hunger strike story. Rafah families expressed their worry towards what is happening for their prisoners in Israeli jails, and are appealing to all free people in the world to crack down on Israel and to force it to respect human rights and the international laws.

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