[News] Palestinian mass resistance blocks Israeli air strike

[Anti-Imperialist News]

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article6074.shtml

Diaries: Live from Palestine
Palestinian mass resistance blocks Israeli air strike
Yousef Alhelou, Live from Palestine, 20 November 2006

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Palestinians have started to employ new tactics to prevent Israeli 
air attacks on their houses. Hundreds of protesters successfully 
forced the Israeli air force to halt air strikes on a house belonging 
to Muhammad Baroud in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip on 
Saturday night.

Israeli warplanes have already destroyed more than 60 houses 
belonging to activists from Palestinian factions across the Gaza 
Strip, using the same method of ordering the residents, through a 
telephone call at short notice, to evacuate their home prior to bombardment.

"This new phenomenon [of human shields] began when Muhammad Baroud, 
29, a leader in the Popular Resistance Committees [PRC], received a 
warning phone call at 8 PM from the Israeli intelligence service 
ordering him to evacuate his house within 10 minutes because the 
Israeli air force was going to destroy the house. But he ignored this 
threat and said, 'We are not leaving our house'. Once again his 
mobile rang, and Muhammad again ignored the warning. After that, 
Muhammad and I went to the rooftop of our house and started chanting 
slogans 'Death to Israel! Death to America!', and we started shooting 
in the air. A few minutes later an Israeli F-16 was hovering in the 
sky above our heads," Wael Baroud, Muhammad's brother, explained.

He added, "This area is very crowded and we managed to assemble many 
people after a man went to a mosque nearby and called people via a 
loudspeaker to go and support the family and prevent the bombardment 
of the house. People began to gather around the house, which is a 
three-storey building and houses five families. We remained inside 
the house. We were about 1,000 people -- men and women -- and some of 
us were on the rooftop and others inside the house and on the street.

"The whole world and the international community turned a blind eye 
and failed to protect us from the continuous Israeli attacks. We have 
to do something, so we are facing the threats of the Israeli F-16 
fighter jets. We are ready to be killed and martyred for the sake of 
God and freedom. We don't fear the Israelis. We are no better than 
the children of Beit Hanoun, who were slaughtered while they were 
sleeping in the latest Israeli massacre in Beit Hanoun."

Issa Radwan, 31, took part in the demonstration near the house. He 
said, "We cannot bear [this] any more. It's a very difficult life. We 
don't feel that we are alive. Israel has made our life miserable and 
they claim that they are a democratic country and call for human 
rights. We want the whole world to know what is going on here and to 
protect us from the brutal Israeli genocide and continuous attacks. 
They are punishing the whole family because of some one [person]. We 
came here to protest and to send a message to the Israelis that it 
does not make a difference for us if we live or die. The Israelis 
have deprived us of our freedom and [they] still kill us every day, 
destroy our houses and impose a tight siege on us. They are punishing 
all Palestinians because of a few individuals." He added, "Don't be 
surprised if more people become militants and join resistance factions."

He added, "My message to the international community, especially the 
Americans, is: Once again you failed to force Israel to halt its 
attacks and protect us, the civilians. You are always pro-Israel, so 
don't be surprised when you know that all Palestinians hate you 
despite your financial support."

Um Asa'ad, a neighbor said, "We came here to give our support to 
Baroud's family not because he is a commander or because he belongs 
to a specific faction, but because our houses surrounds Baroud's 
house and for sure will sustain damage."

An Israeli military spokesman confirmed the raid had been called off 
because of the gathering of people.

"We differentiate between innocent people and militants," the 
spokesman said, vowing that Israel would continue its strikes against 
militants. He also accused gunmen of using civilians in Beit Lahiya 
as human shields.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh arrived at Baroud's house 
early on Sunday to support the protest. "We are so proud of this 
national stand. It's the first step toward protecting our homes, the 
homes of our children," Haniyeh said as he made his way to the roof.

On his way out, he was asked if there had been any progress in 
regards to the national unity government. He responded, "Yes, there 
is progress but, despite progress in the talks, there were no 
guarantees that the new government could persuade the international 
community to lift the sanctions."

"We want to feel more secure, to be more comfortable that they are 
going to be committed to these guarantees and lift the siege," he said.

The interior ministry spokesman, Khaled Abu Hilal, said, "We salute 
our brave people who formed human shields to prevent air strikes by 
the Israeli enemy, who doesn't spare any effort to terrorize us and 
attack us day and night."

The spokesman of the Popular Resistance Committees, Abu Mujahid, said 
in a press conference yesterday, "We salute the people who answered 
the call to assemble to protest. Members of parliament, including Dr 
Ahmed Baher, and Nizar Rayyan, a Hamas leader, visited Baroud's house 
as well as the parliamentary member Jamila Al-Shanti whose house was 
attacked a few weeks ago by an Israeli F-16 fighter jet".

On Sunday night, hundreds of protestors remained on the rooftop. 
Demonstrators said they split into 12-hour shifts to guard the house 
around the clock.


Related Links
<http://electronicIntifada.net/bytopic/651.shtml>BY TOPIC: Israel 
attacks Gaza: "Operation Autumn Clouds" (1 Nov 2006- ) BY TOPIC: 
Massacre in Beit Hanoun (8 November 2006) 
<http://electronicIntifada.net/bytopic/442.shtml>BY TOPIC: Israel 
invades Gaza: "Operation Summer Rain" (27 June 2006)


Yousef Alhelou is a freelance Palestinian journalist based in Gaza. 
He can be contacted on ydamadan at hotmail.com



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