In Rafah the southern part of Gaza strip which on the boarder of Egypt, the Israeli Army committed yet another massacre. Indiscriminately, the Israeli tanks and heavy machine guns shelled the residential area leaving 8 dead and 15 critically injured.
The victims, mostly women and children (Shaymaa Abu Shamala (9 years old), Muhammad Abu Hilal (12 years old), Fatima Abu Jazar (70 years old), Sa’id Abu Ubeid (45 years old), Samira Abu Jazar (30 years old), are all civilians. Three (3) of the victims were beyond recognition and are currently unidentified.
The unprovoked killing spree of civilians came as Sharon was stepping out of the White House, pledging to President Bush that he will draw back his tanks and soldiers, and “relieve” the Palestinian people from the inhumane siege.
That was clear and concrete proof (If Bush is looking for the truth) that Sharon is in fact a war criminal.
The extremist groups’ suicide operations have been long condemned and denounced by the Palestinians as well as the rest of the world (including President Bush). The people believe that such operations damage the national interest of the Palestinians. However, the condemnation is a bit different from that of Bush, in that the Palestinians in principle are against any killing of civilians whether in Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine or Bally of Indonesia. All civilian killing is wrong.
President Bush seems to have a different definition for killing Palestinian civilians. It seems that it is only wrong when others are committing the crime of killing civilians but, does not apply to the US or Israel. Doesn’t Bush realize that shelling civilian homes in Rafah, and killing families (women and children) is even worse than an individual fanatic acting by carrying a suicide attack? Does he realize that organized state terrorism and massacres committed by Armies are more criminal and devastating?
Killing the civilians in Rafah was a premeditated operation that was carried by the Israeli army upon the order of Sharon the notorious hero of Sabra and Shatila refugee camps massacres. All the massacres bear the name of the US through the weaponry given to Israel. Something must be very wrong with President Bush if he does not see that!
Bassam Abu-Sharif is a special advisor to Yasser Arafat.
