From: Kelly Bornshlegel
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2004 5:50 AM
Subject: Death and Lies
Yesterday four boys were killed in Nablus, and one more is in critical condition in the hospital.
All within an hour, Rawhi Shuman (19), Amer Arafat (26), and Amjed al-Masri (15) were shot and killed in the downtown Nablus area.Ý Rawhi was hiding behind a taxi, waiting for soldiers to pass so that he could continue down the road.Ý Amer was near a taxi stand, doing business and talking to customers.Ý Friends of mine talked toÝhim five minutes before he was shot, as they were talking about getting a taxi.Ý After the soldiers shot him, they gathered around the body and demanded to everyone that they show them the gun.Ý There was no gun, or anything that would look like a gun. Amjed was with a group of young shebab throwing stones at invading IOF jeeps.
Two hours later a shahid march went through the city.Ý During shahid marchs people carry the bodies of the deceased to the city center, to the family's home and mosque, and then to the cemetery.Ý Amjed's cousin, Mohammad al-Masri (22) was carrying Amjed's body when he was shot directly in the head.Ý He died shortly after.Ý IOF forces opened fire on the demonstration, killing Mohammad and seriously injuring three more. Mohammad's sister was standing next to me during the march - she was crying but said the grief hadn't completely been realized yet.Ý She lost her cousin and then her brother during the funeral, in a matter of hours.
Most of this is not reported in the news.Ý Ha'aretz reported that four people were killed in the bloodiest confrontations in Nablus in months. They claimed that two of the killed men had pistols, and one had a Molotov cocktail.Ý According to eyewitnesses on the scene, including myself and other international colleagues, these claims are all complete fabrications. Haaretz's information is given to them by the IOF.
An AP photo on yahoo news carries the caption "soldier guards another soldier who aids a Palestinian medic.."Ý Again, my friends were present at the scene.Ý They were aiding medics who were helping the man who was shot, and the same soldiers who shot the man approached the group.Ý The soldier looked at the body, asked where he was shot (the chest) and replied "good."Ý He then disrupted the volunteers work and began threatening and searching everyone.
A fifth person died today - one of the men that was shot during the funeral procession.Ý He was shot in the eye, straight into the head, and died in the hospital today.ÝÝ I don't have words for what is happening - today Nablus continues to be under siege.Ý In a half hour there will be another shahid march for the two killed during the funeral procession yesterday.
Kelly
