Deheishe
Those who find it difficult to fully grasp what it's like to live in a Palestinian refugee camp, particularly during major operations by the Israeli military, may find helpful, an eyewitness account of what went on at a West Bank refugee camp during an Israeli military assault in 2002. Located near Bethlehem, the Deheishe refugee camp is one of over 50 Palestinian refugee camps originally set up to accommodate over 750,000 Palestinians expelled following Israel's creation in 1948. Prior to the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Force (IDF) from the camp in 1995, its inhabitants were surrounded with razor-wire fence that sealed off all but one of 14 exits. Violent skirmishes with Israeli soldiers in its streets and alleys were routine and resulted in the deaths of scores of residents and injuries to hundreds.
An account provided by the West Bank's Ibdaa Cultural Center offers a telling glimpse of the nature of the tactics employed by the IDF during the height of the 2000 to 2005 Palestinian Intifada:
"Since the second Intifada began in September 2000, Deheishe has come under intense Israeli military assaults, including numerous invasions by tanks and shelling by apache helicopters. Soldiers conduct raids in the dead of the night and have imprisoned tens of camp residents, including children. After the reoccupation of the West Bank in the spring of 2002, the Bethlehem area has been under constant curfew, seriously disrupting school curriculums."
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
3
1
1
