Ram

15 Palestinians killed, Sharon: 'A great success'

Ayman missed his second birthday. He was only 18 months old. Mohammad did not pass the age of four, Diana was only five, Mona was killed with her children, four-years old Subhi and six-years old Mohammad, Mohammad al-Shawa died with his five-years old son, Diana Matar was only two months old and Ala Matar did not even get into high school, he was only eleven. 

'When you come back'

Wednesday night, I went to a concert of Vusi Mahlasela. He was performing in at the Jerusalem festival, a musical festival under the theme of ‘songs of freedom’. Vusi Mahlasela was born in Lady Selbourne in Pretoria, during the apartheid regime of South Africa. 

'Israel commits massacre in Jenin refugee camp'

I just had to write one of the most horrible press releases I ever wrote. Israeli forces are commiting a massacre in Jenin refugee camp. The whole day I have received horrible stories, eye-witness accounts, lists of names of persons killed, affidavits, telephone calls, and faxes. What is happening in Jenin are not only war crimes being committed, or crimes against humanity, but it may potentially violate the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. 

'Nablus, I don't hear you !'

“Hi, I just received a message from Nablus that five hundred Palestinians are besieged in the old city of Nablus, could you confirm this? We have a telephone number, but we know that the telephone lines have been cut and that even people cannot be reached on their mobile phones. We are afraid that a massacre is going to take place.” 

'Nablus, Nablus'

My mom just sent me an email, asking what is happening in Nablus. My parents have been trying call my family in Nablus, but to no avail. Telephone lines are cut. Information, I just received from Nablus, indicates that the old city, my favorite place in the town, where I used to walk to and from work, where I did my groceries, and knew a lot of people, is being shelled by Israeli tanks and helicopters. 

Another day, just another day

I came back after a visit to the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Tel Aviv. We went with eight Dutch citizens, to present a petition, signed by twenty-six Dutch nationals, who are working in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel, most of them with humanitarian and human rights organizations, to pressure the Dutch government to end the humanitarian disaster in Palestine. 

These children, again

Yesterday, late afternoon, just before I left the office, a colleague in Beit Jala informed me that the children, who lost their mom, 64 years old Sumaya, and her son Khaled yesterday, and the bodies have been evacuated. The children have been in the bathroom of their home in the old city of Bethlehem for two days, since Ambulances and medical personnel, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have been prevented access by the Israeli forces, despite the desperate humanitarian crisis. 

Pages