أرشيف موقع العهد الإخباري من 1999-2018
ارشيف من : 2005-2008
When Women Rise Power Symmetries Change: Beit Hanoun, Small City versus Complete Army
relatives, joined the march voluntarily because my husband and other relatives were surrounded. This was our attempt to bring them out safely. Indeed, we succeeded and thanks to God we managed to escort a number of the besieged young men to safety amid the firing of gas canisters and bullets into the air, but not towards us. The following day, we departed at 05:30 am towards the mosque, only this time the occupation forces fired extensively on us because they knew we were aiming to lift the siege of the freedom fighters; I, with a number of my relatives, was injured before reaching the mosque.”
Injured citizen Rida Abu Harbid could barely speak these words as she lay in a bed in Awda Hospital where she is receiving treatment for her injuries. She added: “I bled for two hours without seeing any ambulance. After that, my neighbors took me to the main street from where I was taken by ambulance to the hospital. I had been hit by a bullet in the right foot, severing the artery.”
Mrs. Marwa Majdalawi had no relatives inside the mosque, but she responded to the calls that echoed from inside the mosques to lift the siege from the 75 freedom fighters inside the mosque in Beit Hanoun. She said: “When I heard the calling from the mosque, for us to go out in order to save the resistance members, I departed immediately. There were tens of women. The soldiers firing at us did not scare us. I managed to dress a number of freedom fighters in women gowns, and I alone rescued four of them but I was injured on the way back.”
She confirms, “Should they seek my help again, I swear to God, the only deity, I will not hesitate, not for a moment. Jihad is our way; martyrdom is our most precious and highest desire.”
This quest for martyrdom was sought by Mervat Masoud who detonated herself amid a group of occupation soldiers in the center of Beit Hanoun Town, north Gaza Strip, as they tried to inspect her. Mervat came from Jabalya camp and sneaked into the town center to execute this mission that comes in the context of accomplishing the combative course of the Palestinian woman, which continues during the present Intifada. It took place to be recorded in the book of the self-sacrificing martyrs, now numbering 8 self-sacrificing woman.
The mother of the martyr said that her daughter was excelling her peers in the high school and obtained a 90% score. She joined the Islamic University in Gaza, English section. She also said that her daughter was very affected by what was happening in Beit Hanoun and would cry each time she saw dying martyrs. She was deeply influenced when she saw women in Beit Hanoun were lying on the ground, with blood covering their bodies. The mother adds: “She said, had she carried a bomb, she would have detonated herself. But I thought she was kidding.”
Earthquake Hits the Area
The Israeli withdrawal from the town revealed catastrophic scenes that would surprise anyone entering the town that was invaded for the tenth time since the beginning of the Intifada. All the roads were damaged; the houses were marked with traces of the aggression, and wherever you go you will hear unbelievable shocking stories.
The first stop led us to some women grouping inside a house in Gaza Street in Beit Hanoun. Amal Odwan received us while screaming: “What did my brother do? Why did they riddle his back with 18 bullets? Is it a crime when he pokes out his head to observe the events? Ahmad died in the arms of my mother. On the other hand, my father and my brothers were taken into captivity.”
Amal added: the army raided our house and inspected all of its contents. It did not spare any area without causing mischief, killing and destruction.
The citizens of Beit Hanoun rushed to check on each other, especially after the occupation forces arrested tens of citizens. But they never felt safe because the tanks were near their homes.
They Burnt my House
Ibrahim Shbat, a 60-year-old citizen, told the Intiqad about what happened. He said: “we were sitting inside our house; suddenly, a soldier carrier broke into our house, destroying parts of the rooms. Therefore, we ran away to the front yard and the soldiers who raided the rooms pursued us and arrested my children. Then, they blew the walls that separate us from the neighbors. After that, they raided their houses and moved from one house to another using the same method.”
Shbat said that this Israeli invasion of the town was the most difficult time of his life. Movement was forbidden; anything that moved was to be killed. Moreover, no food or drink was available. On the other hand, his daughter in law said that she was forced to eat and sleep together with seven of her children in the same room; she would command each child to drink only one sip of water to spare the rest for later.
Town Sites Destroyed
The Zionist occupation forces destroyed a historic mosque in Beit Hanoun. This mosque was built in year 625 (1204 A.H.), more than 800 years ago. It was built by Shams El-Dean Sankar in commemoration of the victory battle that took place at the time of Al-Nassir Salah El-Dean. The martyrs were buried within the vicinity of the mosque which was named later “Masjid Al-Nasr” or Victory Mosque.
According to a statement of Al-Mizan Center, the number of destroyed and damaged houses surpassed 200. The area of the agricultural land that was razed surpassed 100 donums (100000 m2). The destroyed public and commercial foundations surpassed 30. There were also a number of destroyed vehicles.
In addition, the occupation forces, the statement explains, targeted the infrastructure of other residential and civilian foundations especially those with critical services to the people such as the underground water networks and other underground facilities. Moreover, they imposed a tight siege on the freedom of movement inside the town.
Al-Mizan center expressed again its extreme resentment towards the international silence that turns a blind eye to the events, especially towards “the Semitic parties that signed the 4th Geneva Convention and neglected their responsibilities according to the international laws. These laws oblige them to act quickly to provide international protection for the civilians and their properties as well as stop the extreme violations of the occupation forces that keep violating human rights and the rules of the international law.”
Sixty Martyrs, Hundreds of Injuries
Dr. Mu’awya Hasanain, director of ER and Rescue department in the Palestinian Ministry of Health, said that almost 60 Palestinians had been martyred during the attack on Beit Hanoun, and that more than 300 were injured, with tens critical.
Hasanain said that the Israeli army used arms that would shatter the limbs of the injured Palestinian people and cause paralysis to a large number. He called on the international community to protect the rescuers, especially because the Israeli army has already killed two volunteers of the Red Crescent during their attempt to rescue the wounded Palestinians who fell during the hours of day and night.
New Massacre
The count that was announced by the medical sources promptly changed after a new massacre took place, claiming the lives of 17 Palestinians and injuring tens who were sleeping in their homes. The massacre took place at dawn on Wednesday (08/11/2006). Most of the victims were old men, women and children. The artillery shells struck them while they were asleep.
Beit Hanoun is situated on the north-east of Gaza Strip. It is home to almost 30 thousand Palestinians. Most of them are natives in addition to which are a number of refugees who sought shelter after the disaster that was inflicted upon the Palestinians in 1948.