Survivors of Gaza Massacre Recall The Deadly Experience
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By Mostafa al-Sawaf, IOL Palestine Correspondent
GAZA CITY, July 26 (IslamOnline) – “My son gave me my medication and went to bed. I was awaken abruptly by a terrible sound, the whole house was shaking, I felt the walls closing in on me. My daughter, sleeping beside me, screamed hysterically,” one of Gaza massacre survivors told IslamOnline Friday, July, 26, 2002.
Mohammed Ibrahim Mater, 60, survived the Israeli missile attack on Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City, which left 18 victims, 11 of them children, as well as 150 wounded. He lost one eye, a daughter, daughter-in-law, and four grand children. His two sons, Raed and Ramy, are still in the Intensive Care Unit of Gaza Shifaa hospital.
“The closet fell on my back, I struggled to get it off. I saw my son Ibrahim stuck between the wall and a cement column that fell on him. My wife was in the kitchen screaming.
“My daughter Maha was in the hall, under one of the walls. I tried to drag her away but I could not. Then, I blacked out. When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed, and I knew what happened,” Mater said, through his tears.
Another survivor, also from the Mater family, spoke about the horrifying moments of that night, that the Israeli Prime Minister decided to make it the bloodiest ever for Gaza residents.
“I was reciting the Glorious Qura’n in the hall, my father was in his bed, and mother was in the kitchen. Suddenly, I saw a flash, similar to lightening, followed by a huge explosion that shook the whole building,” said Maha Mater.
“The walls came apart, electricity went off, I tried to move out but could not. One of the walls collapsed over me, but I was lucky as it did not come apart completely, it rather protected me,” she added.
“I stayed there, under the rubble, motionless till the arrival of neighbors and rescue people. One thing I will never forget, the headless body of my nephew. I have heard much about Sharon’s savagery, we have seen the massacres at Jenin and the West Bank. However, that attack in the middle of the night, against sleeping children and women, could never be committed by a human being.”
Hamdy Hassan Higazy, 12, and a resident of the house next to that of martyr Salah Shehadeh, the Hamas leader who was killed in the massacre, is another eyewitness of the Gaza war crime.
“I was in my bed. When I heard the explosion, I thought I was dreaming. However, it turned out to be my worst nightmare at all. I could not open my eyes because of the blood that covered my face. I called out on my father, who he was also hurt. He started taking us all out of the house. As soon as we made it to the street, the whole building came down. Thank God, we could have been added to Sharon’s victims by now,” he said.
Yosuf al-Shawwa, one of the massacre’s victims, died because he wanted some fresh air. Abu Ahmed, his friend and neighbor, who survived the F-16 U.S.-made fighter jet missile, told us the details of the terrible night.
“It was a hot night. I was sitting on the roof of my house to enjoy the summer breeze outside. Al-Shawwa joined me, he was my best friend. Then, the missile struck. In a few seconds, he was there, covered in blood, they killed him,” he said through his tears.
While Sharon and other Israeli officials were congratulating themselves on what they termed as “the most successful hit”, the ruins and destruction left behind at Daraj stood as another proof of Israel’s notion of peace.
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