"However,
the then Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon (Currently Prime
Minister) did not like the idea of Palestinians living so near to
their homeland. Actually, it seems that he did not like the idea of
their being alive. So, he decided to change that," one of the
survivors said.
Another
survivor told IslamOnline the story of what really happened then.
Member of the Palestinian National Council, Waleed al-Awad, said,
"The Israeli Defense Ministry (led by Sharon ) decided to force
us out of Lebanon , disperse us into other Arabic countries.
"Committed
to his bloody tactics, Sharon decided to kill any hope of our return
to our homes by committing a big scale massacre, to kill as many
Palestinians as possible, on one hand. On the other, to intimidate the
others into giving up any hope of ever returning home," al-Awad
added.
|
|
Those who committed those crimes were enjoying the killing and mutilation of the innocent Palestinian civilians
|
Sharon
started his aggression on Lebanon in early June, 1982, occupied South
Lebanon , and imposed a siege on Beirut . However, the Palestinian
fighters put up a heroic resistance and stopped him from taking over
the Lebanese capital for about 88 days.
"The
Palestinian resistance inflicted heavy losses on the Israelis then.
Commander of the Zionist battalion besieging Beirut was killed. Sharon
was forced to resort to diplomatic maneuvers to achieve his vicious
tactics," added al-Awad.
The
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) then agreed to leave Lebanon
on some conditions, foremost among which was taking along all their
weapons, the deployment of international forces to protect the
Palestinian civilians in the refugee camps, and a U.S. guarantee that
Israel will not occupy Beirut .
"As
usual, the Palestinian leadership bought the bait and left Beirut
waving the V sign (Victory). They did not know what Sharon had in
mind. The 2500-strong international force then evacuated the refugee
camp, at the orders of the Israeli army. On the night of September 14,
1982 , the Israeli forces besieged Sabra & Shatila camps,
controlled their entrances and exits.
"Then
hell broke open. Israeli tanks, armored vehicles, and military
bulldozers started a well-concerted process of flattening everything
and everyone. Body parts, human flesh and bones were mixed with ruble
from the destroyed houses," al-Awad said through his tears.
Judging from the look on his face, the man was going through a real
nightmare, just recalling the horror of those black days in the
history of all mankind.
Twenty-three
Palestinians filed a suit against Sharon to have him tried in Belgium
for his role in the September 1982 massacres of up to 2,000 Palestinians
at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, perpetrated by Israel with the
help of the Israeli-allied Christian phalangist militia during
Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.
Al-Awad
then recalled some of the most horrible things any sane person may
imagine. However, it was clear that those who committed those crimes
were enjoying the killing and mutilation of the innocent Palestinian
civilians.
 |
Sharon decided to kill as many Palestinians as possible
|
"I
saw a 17-year-old girl called Ibtisam (Her name means Smiling in
Arabic). She was naked, her hands tied behind her back, her legs spread
and also tied. Her sensitive body parts were cut off. The Israeli
soldiers raped her first, then cut off her body, while joking and
kidding. I do not think any human being can do that, they are
animals," al-Awad continued through his tears.
However,
we disagree with him on calling those soldiers animals, this way he
insulted animals.
"When
we sneaked into the camp on the night of
September 16,1982
, we witnessed even more horrible scenes. Slain bodies everywhere, human
parts dispersed on the narrow streets, badly injured women, children and
old men lying everywhere. It was beyond description.
"We
kept moving in the narrow streets, stepping on bodies and wounded
people. It was dark, we did our best to help. Then, I reached the home
of my best friend…" he stopped. We had to respect his silence, it
was obvious how painful such memories are.
"I
found him slain while holding his three children (Shadi, Shadia, and
Bassam). He was trying to protect his children, the Zionists killed them
all," he said. Those words brought to our memories the scene of
Muhammad al-Dorrah holding his father, who kept calling out on Israeli
soldiers to stop firing, trying to save his terrified child. The Israeli
soldiers killed the child. History repeats itself.
Al-Awad
concluded with urging the Palestinians not to trust Israeli or American
promises any more. "Their promises are meant only to make us
abandon our legal right to resist occupation".
