News for the Month of August

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27 August

An old women died at the checkpoint near the airport, as she was on her way to Egypt for an open heart surgery. After waiting more than 5 hours at the checkpoint, she died.

On Monday, the Palestinian Authority attacked more than 4 houses in Rafah. According to what the IDF leaders told the Palestinian Authority that there were four families in Rafah who had illegal tunnel entrances concealed inside them. In response, the Palestinians Authority fought with those four families. The Palestinian Authority found the tunnels in those four houses and arrested all of the members in addition to shutting down the tunnels. Now, the Palestine Authority shot and fought with all this families, and they demolished some parts of their houses. Those four houses were the only houses that tried to create illegal tunnels according to the Israelis leaders.

Rafah today

Shelling and the shooting continues against Rafah every night. Yesterday they shot many people, as they aimed to shell the houses of the citizens in order to force the families to leave them, then demolished their houses and then announced that they demolished them because they were empty.

In this morning, thousands of Palestinians gathered in the UNRWA office, the governorate office and other governmental offices objecting to the closusre of relief organizations. The demonstration was attended by disabled people, orphaned children with their mothers, poor families and others who were asking the world not to close relief organizations that aim at serving humanity..

Rafah tunnels story

25 August

In the early morning, many who were getting support from relief organizations gathered and demonstrated in Rafah, Khay Yonies and Gaza. Those demonstrations were not organized, but all the families were asking the international organization not to stop supporting the poor families in the refugee camps..

No one slept last night. No one. It is very hard because of the shelling and shooting everywhere. The new US apache is now in the Rafah sky. Today in Rafah three people will be burnt, as they were killed yesterday.

Now there are demonstrations and many people have been jailed in the checkpoints.. They divided Gaza into three areas. The demonstrations are because the IDF had been killing people and because the PA closed all the relief organizations even the internationals.

The body of 21 year old Wahed al Hums, a student in engineering school and was also writing in newspapers, books, and in the internet about the plight of his people. His mother didnt sleep yesterday from the shelling, and weeping. His father is one of the first people in UNRWA who worked as an ambulance driver since the UNRWA was founded in Palestine. No one believes what is happening

24 August

Yesterday the IDF shot three people in Rafah, (Tal Al Sultan area), one of whom was seriously injured. He was 70 years old. Every night in Rafah there is shelling and shooting towards the houses. Most of the people who were living on the borderline left their houses because of the daily shelling and shooting. It is very hard to find a wall has no bullet-shots and shelling. In the summer the people in Rafah have no water, and they have continuous blackouts. This causes many health problems.

Three houses were demolished in Rafah and the homeless families held demonstrations in front of the UNRWA office and the governorate office..

Also, very big demonstrations will held in Rafah, Gaza, and in all Gaza strip because the Palestinian Authority began to close and block the relief organizations which helped the orphans and the poor families.

19 August

PCHR is warning that an environmental and humanitarian crisis is lurking in Rafah refugee camp after Rafah municipality has been prevented from repairing the sewage system partly destroyed during an Israeli incursion in April. The Health and Sewage Unit in the municipality has been trying to repair the system several times since it was damaged but failed to do so due to Israeli soldiers shooting at the workers trying to repair the damages.

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PCHR is deeply concerned about the environmental and health situation in the above mentioned areas and calls upon the international community, the United Nations bodies and international agencies to immediately interfere to force Israel to allow Rafah municipality to repair the damages in the system in order to avoid a serious health and environmental crisis.

Also last night there was shelling till this morning from the tanks in Block J.. well, many many problems but who will hear.

14 August:

Yesterday, at 11:30 PM, a heavy IDF bomb exploded near the border line in Hai Al Salam. And Tuesday, at the middle of the night at 12:30 pm, we heard a huge explosion, which made the children afraid till the morning. Also, now the IDF built new tower and is shooting from there, as they also not allowed people to walk in Slah Eldeen street in Rafah. Today there were demonstrations against the policy of the IDF in Rafah, tomorrow a big demonstration will be held for the prisoners. This night, shelling and shooting, but no one is injured util now, and they demolished two houses in Block J, near the border line, in the west of Rafah.

08 August:

After the IDF left Beit Hanun, the people there face many problems, because the infrastructure and many houses are destroyed, and nobody is there to help the families. According to the Naser hospital, the IDF killed a Palestinian today in the Khan yones camp, and AL Aksa hospital added that the IDF killed a 47 years old man in Rawhi Al Haour, he was injured in his belly while he was walking to his house...

A woman just returning from one of the Israeli prisons told me, that 93 women are in the Israeli prisons since the beginning of this Intifada, 7 of them are girls aged less than 17 years. Their names are: Asmaa Mahmoud (16), Fedaa Ghannam (14), Zenab Al Sholi (14), Tamara Derbas (15), Aisha Abiat (16), Sana Amer (15), and Rabaa Hamil (14). It is estimated that about 2,000 children were arrested during the recent intifada. A 13 year old boy, who is now in a prison near Hebron, said to the lawyer: "they don't allow us to drink water when we need it, and every day they hit us, and do not allow us to have a shower for two months.. Sometimes they exile the one who asks for water and food in a very small room, so this prevents all of us from asking for food or water to avoid this small exile room, the soldiers force me also to sign papers that I don’t understand... I want to see my father, I want to see my mother, when I will see them, and what did I do to be in this place?!"