News from Jenin Refugee Camp
Today I was excited to read a text from Maisa in Jenin Refugee Camp, after not hearing anything for just over a month. She has been reluctant to use her phone having been arrested and held for several hours as a result of the soldiers not liking some of the conversations they read on her phone.
But very sadly, the news in her message was not good.
According to WAFA (The official Palestinian news agency)
“Yesterday (Monday 15th October) the Israeli aggression in Jenin and in the Camp for over eight hours resulted in the killing of a child and a young man, the injury of four people and the destruction of public and private properties.
Bulldozers destroyed part of a house in the Al-Aloub neighborhood, and also bulldozed the infrastructure at the Hisan Roundabout at the entrance of the camp.
Medical sources announced the killing of 17-year-old Rayan Ibrahim al-Sayed, and 23-year-old Mahmoud Mamoun Abu al-Rub by Israeli gunfire, in addition to the injury of four citizens with various wounds during the military onslaught.”
Maisa’s text told me that the children’s centre where I have spent several weeks on two separate occasions, was caught in the middle of the onslaught and around fifty nursery aged children were prevented from leaving the building by Israeli Defence Soldiers and gunfire.
At one point, needing water, one of the staff members tried to leave the building, waving a white shirt. A bullet narrowly missing her and hitting the wall forced her back inside.
Later another member of staff managed to leave and drive to the outskirts of the camp to fetch water. Her car was shot at three times but miraculously she managed to return to the centre unharmed and with water for the children.
Emergency teams finally rescued the children after seven long hours. As they left the scene the ambulances were also shot at.
I cannot imagine the distress, fear and long term psychological damage that is being inflicted on these young, innocent children. Nowhere are these little ones safe from violence and terror. Their homes are raided at night with older brothers, fathers and uncles taken away or beaten. And at UNWRA schools and day centres like the one in Jenin Refugee Camp where children go to play and learn, are not safe either. Aggressions like this happen daily in refugee camps all over the West Bank, but are rarely deemed newsworthy by media outlets here.
The staff too are suffering immense trauma. As young children they lived through the 2nd Intifada, when Jenin Refugee camp was the scene of terrible fighting and atrocities. Now they suffer again. Deep depression and thoughts of death and suicide are their daily companions.
Shame on our media for not reporting. Shame on our government for supporting Israel with words and weapons. Shame on Israel for its crimes.