Zeitoun incident
Encyclopedia
The Zeitoun incident refers to the Israel
i military incursion, led by the Givati Brigade
unit of the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF), in the Zeitoun
district of Gaza
as part of the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict
. In the Arab world
, the name Zeitoun District Massacre is used to refer to any of the incidents in Zeitoun. A total of 48 people were killed and 27 homes, a mosque and a number of farms were destroyed. Zeitoun residents believe that because the area is a natural choke point close to the Israeli border, Israeli troops turned the Zeitoun neighborhoods into a military base from which they launched their operations.
Israeli forces removed families from their homes and used the buildings as outposts.The events in Zeitoun were among the most notable incidents of the conflict; according to the New York Times, although the Israelis have "razed building and upended families" throughout the Gaza Strip
, Zeitoun residents were among those who suffered the most during the conflict. A report released by United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs
stated that the attack on the Samouni family, who were among the Zeitoun victims, was one of the "gravest incidents" in the conflict. The IDF denied that they were targeting civilians.
Another attack on family members supposedly occurred in the house across the street on January 4. According to one of the local residents, Israeli soldiers came to her house, where she and 18 other family members were evading the fighting outside, and deliberately shot at her family members. Prior to the alleged shooting, her husband presented his ID to the IDF and identified himself as the owner of the house. After he told them that he has children and pleaded for them to hold their fire, they supposedly shot him repeatedly, about 20-30 times according to witnesses. He along with his four year-old-son were killed.
In another incident, a witness reported that after forcing 45 members of the Samouni family into one room, the IDF blindfolded and cuffed eight male members of the family and subsequently interrogated them. The family were then ordered outside, and three of the men were ordered by soldiers to "walk to Gaza City" and to not "come back". During the pleas of the men's wives, a soldier shot one of the men as they were leaving. One killed Samouni member was found on the street on January 4. His hands were cuffed, but the circumstances of his death are not clear as there were no eyewitness accounts reported as of January 19, 2009.
Researcher of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
, colonel (res.) Halevi said that an examination of freely accessible Palestinian sources show that at least three members of the al-Samouni family were affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad group; Tawfiq al-Samouni, who was killed on January 5, was supposedly a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative. Moreover, he suggests that the official Palestinian Islamic Jihad version of the occurrences on the days of the incident indicate that its fighters had been operating in the area against IDF. Based on the evidences, he suggests that it is plausible civilians were caught in the fighting.
Local witnesses said that most of the family members who died had been killed instantly, while others sustained wounds and were unable to receive help in time, due to the IDF's alleged refusal to allow paramedics access to the wounded. One doctor said that over 100 phone calls were made by residents seeking help for the injured. While two medics were sent, they were supposedly blocked by the Israelis. The IDF rejected all other requests to have medics tend to the injured. Among the wounded was 12-year old Ishaq who had sustained a leg injury in the Monday attack, but died Wednesday. On Wednesday, Israelis allowed a three-hour pause for rescue workers to come in. Paramedics found four exhausted children beside their mothers' corpses; the children were in the open for 48 hours with Israeli soldiers nearby. Due to the three-hour time limit, the Red Cross were not able to collect the dead. In addition, the Israelis restricted the entry of the ambulances forcing medics to walk and then carry the injured in a donkey cart back to the ambulances a mile away. On the following Thursday, the Red Cross stated that the Israelis did not fulfill its role in the care and vacating of the wounded as required by humanitarian international law. The rest of the corpses were collected two weeks later, a day after the IDF disengaged.
The IDF denied that they were targeting civilians. The New York Times reported that Hamas
members launched rockets at Israel about a mile away from the residents, and that Zeitoun "is known to have many supporters of Hamas." The IDF stated that their purpose was to besiege areas from where Hamas launched rockets, and that Zeitoun was one of these areas. Disputing this claim, Zeitoun residents point out that Hamas did not have much support in their area and that the residents are mostly supporters of Fatah
. In a statement from the IDF, an Israeli official said they are investigating the attacks but did not deny the attacks were intentional.
The United Nations
high commissioner for human rights, Navanethem Pillay, along with other international aid officials advocated an investigation in Zeitoun for possible war crimes.
were "Death to Arabs" and "The Only Good Arab is a Dead Arab." One slogan "1 is down, 999,999 to go" refers to Gaza's Palestinian population of one million people. An officer from the unit that wrote the graffiti stated, "Sometimes soldiers don't differentiate between Hamas and Arabs." The IDF spokesperson said that the graffiti is "against any code of behavior of the IDF or moral values" and if the graffiti were in fact real "soldiers will be punished."
According to an account from Gaza residents delivered to B'Tselem
, an air strike collapsed the home of Ad-Daya family, killing thirteen family members.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i military incursion, led by the Givati Brigade
Givati Brigade
The Givati Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and serves as its amphibious force. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets...
unit of the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
(IDF), in the Zeitoun
Zeitoun, Gaza
-History:It was built in the 1930s and 1940s as Gaza developed outside its center. Much of the funding for the initial construction is attributed to foreign institutions, such as missionary hospitals. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, with the influx of Palestinian refugees, Zeitoun's population...
district of Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
as part of the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict
2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict
The Gaza War, known as Operation Cast Lead in Israel and as the Gaza Massacre in the Arab world, was a three-week bombing and invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israel, and hundreds of rocket attacks on south of Israel which...
. In the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
, the name Zeitoun District Massacre is used to refer to any of the incidents in Zeitoun. A total of 48 people were killed and 27 homes, a mosque and a number of farms were destroyed. Zeitoun residents believe that because the area is a natural choke point close to the Israeli border, Israeli troops turned the Zeitoun neighborhoods into a military base from which they launched their operations.
Israeli forces removed families from their homes and used the buildings as outposts.The events in Zeitoun were among the most notable incidents of the conflict; according to the New York Times, although the Israelis have "razed building and upended families" throughout the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, Zeitoun residents were among those who suffered the most during the conflict. A report released by United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , is a United Nations body formed in December 1991 by General Assembly Resolution 46/182...
stated that the attack on the Samouni family, who were among the Zeitoun victims, was one of the "gravest incidents" in the conflict. The IDF denied that they were targeting civilians.
The Samouni family
According to the accounts by family members, on January 4, the first day of the Israeli incursion in the Zeitoun district, the Samouni clan were evacuated by soldiers from their houses (most of them were later demolished) and were gathered into a nearby home. They were forced to move again to another building, accumulating into 100 members in the home. On January 5, Israelis began demolishing the wall of the house. According to eyewitnesses, when one of the occupants went to alert the Israeli soldiers that people were inside, the soldiers began to shoot at the house. After a short lull, the house was shelled and hit by rockets, severely damaging the building and killing and injuring the occupants. A total of 29 members of the Samouni family were killed.Another attack on family members supposedly occurred in the house across the street on January 4. According to one of the local residents, Israeli soldiers came to her house, where she and 18 other family members were evading the fighting outside, and deliberately shot at her family members. Prior to the alleged shooting, her husband presented his ID to the IDF and identified himself as the owner of the house. After he told them that he has children and pleaded for them to hold their fire, they supposedly shot him repeatedly, about 20-30 times according to witnesses. He along with his four year-old-son were killed.
In another incident, a witness reported that after forcing 45 members of the Samouni family into one room, the IDF blindfolded and cuffed eight male members of the family and subsequently interrogated them. The family were then ordered outside, and three of the men were ordered by soldiers to "walk to Gaza City" and to not "come back". During the pleas of the men's wives, a soldier shot one of the men as they were leaving. One killed Samouni member was found on the street on January 4. His hands were cuffed, but the circumstances of his death are not clear as there were no eyewitness accounts reported as of January 19, 2009.
Researcher of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs is a public policy think tank devoted to research and analysis of critical issues facing the Middle East. The center is located in Jerusalem, Israel...
, colonel (res.) Halevi said that an examination of freely accessible Palestinian sources show that at least three members of the al-Samouni family were affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad group; Tawfiq al-Samouni, who was killed on January 5, was supposedly a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative. Moreover, he suggests that the official Palestinian Islamic Jihad version of the occurrences on the days of the incident indicate that its fighters had been operating in the area against IDF. Based on the evidences, he suggests that it is plausible civilians were caught in the fighting.
Local witnesses said that most of the family members who died had been killed instantly, while others sustained wounds and were unable to receive help in time, due to the IDF's alleged refusal to allow paramedics access to the wounded. One doctor said that over 100 phone calls were made by residents seeking help for the injured. While two medics were sent, they were supposedly blocked by the Israelis. The IDF rejected all other requests to have medics tend to the injured. Among the wounded was 12-year old Ishaq who had sustained a leg injury in the Monday attack, but died Wednesday. On Wednesday, Israelis allowed a three-hour pause for rescue workers to come in. Paramedics found four exhausted children beside their mothers' corpses; the children were in the open for 48 hours with Israeli soldiers nearby. Due to the three-hour time limit, the Red Cross were not able to collect the dead. In addition, the Israelis restricted the entry of the ambulances forcing medics to walk and then carry the injured in a donkey cart back to the ambulances a mile away. On the following Thursday, the Red Cross stated that the Israelis did not fulfill its role in the care and vacating of the wounded as required by humanitarian international law. The rest of the corpses were collected two weeks later, a day after the IDF disengaged.
The IDF denied that they were targeting civilians. The New York Times reported that Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
members launched rockets at Israel about a mile away from the residents, and that Zeitoun "is known to have many supporters of Hamas." The IDF stated that their purpose was to besiege areas from where Hamas launched rockets, and that Zeitoun was one of these areas. Disputing this claim, Zeitoun residents point out that Hamas did not have much support in their area and that the residents are mostly supporters of Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
. In a statement from the IDF, an Israeli official said they are investigating the attacks but did not deny the attacks were intentional.
The United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
high commissioner for human rights, Navanethem Pillay, along with other international aid officials advocated an investigation in Zeitoun for possible war crimes.
Anti-Arab graffiti
Two of the houses belonging to the Samouni clan were the only buildings that were not completely dismantled. Soldiers had occupied the homes and covered the walls with Anti-Arab graffiti. Among the slogans written in HebrewHebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
were "Death to Arabs" and "The Only Good Arab is a Dead Arab." One slogan "1 is down, 999,999 to go" refers to Gaza's Palestinian population of one million people. An officer from the unit that wrote the graffiti stated, "Sometimes soldiers don't differentiate between Hamas and Arabs." The IDF spokesperson said that the graffiti is "against any code of behavior of the IDF or moral values" and if the graffiti were in fact real "soldiers will be punished."
The Helw and ad-Daya families
According to the testimonies from the family members collected by LA Times correspondent, Israeli soldiers stormed the home of the Helw family, shooting 55-year-old Fuad Helw in front of his family and then instructing the rest of the family, 13 members, to leave the home. The family was assured by soldiers that they would not be targeted, however, as they were walking, they came under Israeli gunfire. Three family members were injured and a one-year-old was killed.According to an account from Gaza residents delivered to B'Tselem
B'Tselem
B'Tselem is an Israeli non-governmental organization . It calls itself "The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories"...
, an air strike collapsed the home of Ad-Daya family, killing thirteen family members.
External links
- The Plight of Al Samouni Family in Gaza: in their own voices. Al-Haq
- Fate Of One Family Illustrates Gaza War's Ferocity. NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...