The Electronic Intifada 17 March 2004
Israeli forces killed two children in Rafah. The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Wael Injili (15) died of his injuries after being hit with shrapnel during the Israeli assault on Rafah refugee camp. Medical sources told WAFA that he was severely injured. Earlier, Israeli forces killed Mosbah Mwafi (15). Israeli attack helicopters fired missiles on homes. Mwafi was being hit with a missile which separated his head from his body.
Israeli tanks, jeeps and army bulldozers, backed by Apache helicopters invaded Rafah refugee camp, opening fire on homes randomly. During the Israeli assault on Rafah refugee camp, Israeli forces killed Faraj Abu Jazzar (24) and Mahmoud Abu Nahel (42). Medical sources told WAFA that the two bodies were disfigured. Israeli bulldozers demolished five homes in block O of the refugee camp. They also said that there were dozens of wounded, including eight critically. This Israeli assault spread fear among residents.
WAFA reported that Israeli soldiers positioned at a high building near the Zennourayn Mosque forced its residents to vacate their homes. Eyewitnesses reportedly said that they were beaten after which Israeli forces demolished the building.
Rafah is located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, at the border with Egypt. Rafah refugee camp was established in 1949 to provide shelter to 41,000 refugees. It was the largest and most densely populated refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. The camp has been the scene of Israeli aggression for the past three years.
In 2003, Israeli forces attacked Rafah and its vulnerable residents on a daily basis, killing at least 60 Palestinians. Larger military operations against Rafah’s residents took place in January, April, May, September, October, November and December. In all these operations, Israeli forces, using heavy arms and equipment, killed or wounded civilians, demolished homes and terrorised Rafah’s residents. During that same year, Israeli forces occupying Rafah killed two international peace activists and a British TV cameraman.
On March 16, Rachel Corrie (23), an American peace activist, was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer. She was killed, trying to protect the home of a Palestinian doctor, his wife and three children. Less than one month later, Tom Hurndall, a young photographer, was shot in the head by the Israeli army in Rafah. On May 2, James Miller, an award-winning British TV cameraman, who was making a documentary about Palestinian children in Rafah, was shot dead by the Israeli army.
