Friday, July 25, 2014

Reporting from Gaza: Israel carries out massacre in Khuza'a, east of Khan Younis

Dear friends,
I had original hoped to publish this yesterday but unfortunately I was not able too.  Since Israel began its assault on Gaza, it has carried out massacre after massacre of Palestinian civilians. The worst of this massacres happened last Sunday, when Israel relentlessly bombed the Shejaiya district in the east of Gaza City, killing one hundred people (Israel returned to carry out further bombing of the district hours after it end the massacre).  On Wednesday, 23 July,  three days after Shejaiya, Israel carried out another cold blooded massacre, this time in the village of Khuza'a, just east of Khan Younis in the south of Gaza.

According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) in Gaza, Israel launced 50 airstrikes, as well as numerous tank strikes, on Wednesday in the Khan Younis region, "targeting houses, civilians, agricultural plots, and open areas in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis".  According to PCHR "a result, 39 Palestinians, including 5 children and 2 women, were killed. A woman died of previous wounds. Additionally, 165 Palestinians, including 36 women and 42 children, were wounded. Israeli forces maintained their incursion into Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, and there are reports that there are dozens of Palestinian casualties in the village, and medical crews were denied access to them.  When many civilians attempted to leave the village, Israeli forces fired at them, killing 4".

PCHR reports that Israeli occupation forces targeted both Khuza'a village, as well as other nearby village.  The PCHR report details both incidents in Khuza'a and other villages, but I have only included below the entries specific to Khuza'a village. You can read the full report by clicking here.  





  • In the town of Khuza’a in Khan Younis, south Gaza, the Health Ministry says Israeli forces have arrested those wounded in airstrikes after ambulances had picked them up for treatment. The ministry says two ambulance workers have been arrested as well.    
  • - See more at: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gaza-latest-death-toll-passes-800-kerry-makes-new-ceasefire-proposal-237471160#sthash.GNuouFMs.dpuf



  • In the town of Khuza’a in Khan Younis, south Gaza, the Health Ministry says Israeli forces have arrested those wounded in airstrikes after ambulances had picked them up for treatment. The ministry says two ambulance workers have been arrested as well.    
  • - See more at: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gaza-latest-death-toll-passes-800-kerry-makes-new-ceasefire-proposal-237471160#sthash.GNuouFMs.dpuf



  • In the town of Khuza’a in Khan Younis, south Gaza, the Health Ministry says Israeli forces have arrested those wounded in airstrikes after ambulances had picked them up for treatment. The ministry says two ambulance workers have been arrested as well.    
  • - See more at: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gaza-latest-death-toll-passes-800-kerry-makes-new-ceasefire-proposal-237471160#sthash.GNuouFMs.dpuf
    According to the Gazan Health Ministry, Israeli Occupation forces also arrested those in Khuza'a who were wounded in airstrikes after ambulances had picked them up for treatment. The ministry says two ambulance workers have been arrested as well.     

    The Middle East Eye has also published a report on the massacre in Khuzza'a, along with photos which can be read here. Middle East Eye note: "The scenes of destructions and the killing in Khuza'a and nearby Abasan, bare a great deal of resemblance to Shajaiya, an area on the outskirts of Gaza City that has been under a similar kind of assault since Saturday night".

    d.
    The scenes of destructions and the killing in Khuza'a and nearby Abasan, bare a great deal of resemblance to Shajaiya, an area on the outskirts of Gaza City that has been under a similar kind of assault since Saturday night. There, at least 60 people been killed and hundreds more injured, sparking a mass civilian exodus on Sunday morning.
    - See more at: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/pictures-death-khuzaa-1541669961#sthash.NnLOQ9I6.dpuf
    I have also included tweets from both international and Palestinians journalists documenting the attack on Khuza'a, as well as translations of tweets from survivors of the massacre. 

    The tweets included in this post are from the following journalists, photographers and bloggers (click on their names to go to their accounts):  


    Issam Samour - Gaza activist
    Hazem Balousha - Palestinian journalist working in Gaza
    Mohammed Alasaafin - Palestinian independent reporter, reporting for Al Jazeera
    Sharif Kouddous - Egyptian independent reporter, reporting for Democracy Now

    I have also included video footage from Al Jazeera.
     

    You can read the earlier posts in this "Reporting from Gaza" by clicking on the titles blow:
    In solidarity, Kim




     
    At approximately 12:30, Israel forces that had moved into Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, fired bullets and artillery shells at hundreds of Palestinian civilians who attempted to leave the village as there were reports about a one-hour coordination to evacuate casualties.  Israeli forces fired also at ambulances and prevented them from entering the village. 
    - At approximately 17:00, 12 ambulances attempted to enter Khuza’a village, but Israeli forces prevented and fired at them.
    - At approximately 18:30, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at a house belonging to Dr. Kamal Abu Rujaila, which he uses as clinic, in Khuza’a village, as a number of wounded Palestinians went to the house seeking medical aid.  A number of casualties were reported as a result of the attack.  Apparently, one Palestinian was killed.  Medical crews were not able to reach the house. A volunteer paramedic, who was wounded throughout the body while he was attempting to evacuate wounded Palestinians, has been trapped in the area since Wednesday morning, 23 July 2014, as medical crews have not been able to reach him.  According to reports from Khuza’a village, Israeli forces raided a number of houses and turned them into military sites.  They also arrested scores of Palestinians.  At approximately 23:00, an ICRC crew and 10 ambulances of Palestine Red Crescent Society went to Kuza’a village, but they were not able to evacuate victims because the situation was extremely dangerous.
    - At approximately 21:00, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at a number of Palestinian civilians in Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, killing 2 of them: Mohammed Barham Abu Draz, 24; and ‘Essam Ibrahim Abu Ismail, 23.
    - At approximately 06:50, Israeli forces fired at dozens of Palestinian civilians who raised white flags and attempted to leave Khuza’a village, and forced them to go back homes.   
    - At approximately 07:15, Israeli forces fired at a number of Palestinian civilians who attempted to leave Khuza’a through a dirt road leading to ‘Abassan village.  One of these civilians, Mohammed Ahmed Suleiman al-Najjar, 56, was killed by a bullet to the neck.  Two civilians were also wounded.
    - Also at approximately 08:30, medical crews were able to recover the body of Fadi Yousef Ahmed al-Najjar, 27, who is physically disabled, from Khuza’a village.  He was killed by Israeli shelling.
    - At approximately 09:50, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a motor cart on which a number of Palestinian civilians were traveling attempting to leave Khuza’a village.  As a result, 4 civilians were killed and another 2 ones were wounded.  The victims have not been identified as their bodies were burnt. 
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