Lest We Forget: Gaza Genocide 27.12.2008 – 18.01.2009

Reham Alhelsi

December 26, 2009

On 27.12.2008, Israel launched a premeditated wide-scale terrorist attack on the besieged, unarmed civilian population of Gaza. During this latest Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza 1419 Palestinians were killed by the IOF, including: 326 children, 111 women, 367 students, at least 15 teachers, 16 medical personnel, 21 farmers, 2 fishermen and 92 labourers. Over 5300 Palestinians were injured by the IOF attacks, including 600 who suffered permanent disability and 221 required amputations. Of the 1419 victims, 140 were killed by Israeli artillery shelling, "473 Palestinians were killed by missiles from Israeli fighter jets, 519 from unmanned drones, 92 from Israeli military helicopters, 7 from Israel warships." 92 Palestinians were shot dead by IOF soldiers, including 27 children. Of those shot dead "53 were shot exclusively in the upper body, 10 in the lower body, and the rest in both the upper and lower body." According to doctors present: "the most horrific war injuries in men, women, and children of all ages in numbers too large to comprehend. The wounded, dying, and dead have streamed into the overcrowded hospital in endless convoys of ambulances and private cars, and wrapped in blankets in the caring arms of others. The endless and intense bombardment from Israeli air, ground, and naval forces have missed no targets, not even hospitals."

Medical personnel were shot at while trying to save lives. At least 16 Palestinian medical personnel were killed by the IOF while on duty, and 258 Palestinians died because the IOF obstructed their medical treatment. Whole neighborhoods were declared closed military zones to which ambulances had no access, and paramedics were denied access despite receiving calls for help from residents there. According to the testimony of Kahlid Abu Sa’ada registered by PCHR: "I was driving my ambulance in Beit Lahia…. when the Israelis shelled us….I was with two paramedics. The Israeli shells killed one of them." The other was badly injured. He’s now paralyzed. "A few days ago the Israelis bombed us" while we were trying to rescue a boy. The explosion "ripped (his) head off." The Israelis killed other ambulance drivers and paramedics by bombing and shelling them. Dr. Eysa Saleh was on duty with the Medical Security Services when a shell blew his head off in Jabaliya."

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) published the names of the Palestinian martyrs killed by the Zionist entity during the genocide:

List of Gaza victims (http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/PressR/English/2008/list.pdf)

Source: Uruknet.
Link: http://www.uruknet.de/?s1=1&p=61488&s2=27.