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Wounded Gaza family lay bleeding for 20 hours
By Amira Hass
Tags: gaza, israel news, Amira Hass 

Click here for more articles by Amira Hass

Three hours after the Israel Defense Forces began their ground operation in the Gaza Strip, at about 10:30 P.M. Saturday night, a shell or missile hit the house owned by Hussein al A'aiedy and his brothers. Twenty-one people live in the isolated house, located in an agricultural area east of Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood. Five of them were wounded in the strike: Two women in their eighties (his mother and aunt), his 14-year-old son, his 13-year-old niece and his 10-year-old nephew.

Twenty hours later, the wounded were still bleeding in a shed in the courtyard of the house. There was no electricity, no heat, no water. Their relatives were with them, but every time they tried to leave the courtyard to fetch water, the army shot at them.
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Al A'aiedy tried to summon help on his cell phone, but Gaza's cell phone network is collapsing. Shells have hit transponders, there is no electricity and no diesel fuel to run the generators. Every time the telephone works, it is a minor miracle.

At about noon Sunday, Al A'aiedy finally managed to reach S., who called me. There was nothing else that S., who lives nearby, could do.

I had known Al A'aiedy for eight years, and I called Physicians for Human Rights. They called the IDF's liaison office to ask it to arrange to have the wounded evacuated. That was shortly after noon - and as of press time, the liaison office had still not called PHR back.

Meanwhile, someone else had managed to reach the Red Crescent Society. It called the Red Cross and asked it to coordinate the evacuation of the wounded with the IDF. That was at 10:30 A.M. - and as of press time Sunday night, the Red Cross had still not been able to do so.

While I was on the phone with PHR, at about noon, H. called. He just wanted to report: Two children, Ahmed Sabih and Mohammed al-Mashharawi, aged 10 and 11, had gone up on the roof of their Gaza City house to heat water over a fire. There is no electricity or gas, so fire is all that remains.

Tanks are spitting shells, helicopters are raining fire, warplanes are causing earthquakes. But it is still hard for people to grasp that heating water has become no less dangerous than joining Hamas' military wing.

An IDF missile hit the two boys, killing Ahmed and seriously wounding Mohammed. Later Sunday, an Internet news site reported that both had died. But H.'s cell phone was not answering, so I could not verify that report.

And there was no point in trying H.'s land line: A bomb destroyed his neighborhood's entire phone system on Saturday. The target was a print shop (yet another of the IDF's "military" targets). Its owner, a retired UNRWA employee, had invested his entire pension in the shop.

In B.'s neighborhood, the bombs hit the water mains, so she has had no water since yesterday morning. "I'm already used to coping without electricity," she said. "There's no television, but I hear what happens from friends who call. One friend called from Lebanon, another from Haifa. And Ramallah. But without water, how will we manage?"

A. offered his own take on the situation: "I keep the children away from the windows because the F-16s are in the air; I forbid them to play below because it's dangerous. They're bombing us from the sea and from the east, they're bombing us from the air. When the telephone works, people tell us about relatives or friends who were killed. My wife cries all the time. At night she hugs the children and cries. It's cold and the windows are open; there's fire and smoke in open areas; at home there's no water, no electricity, no heating gas. And you [the Israelis] say there's no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Tell me, are you normal?"

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      1.   No comments on this article? 07:31  |  Maureen Ann 05/01/09
      2.   tell me are "you" normal... 07:32  |  taly 05/01/09
      3.   tell me is "hamas" normal? 07:33  |  tk 05/01/09
      4.   Well? Are Israelis normal? 07:53  |  Michael Hess 05/01/09
      5.   re: Maureen Ann 08:03  |  UsedToPostHere 05/01/09
      6.   To #1 08:19  |  jay 05/01/09
      7.   Will This Stop The Quassams? 08:34  |  Yosemite 05/01/09
      8.   #1 08:38  |  Rab Burns 05/01/09
      9.   Hamas shahid summer camps: 09:09  |  msh 05/01/09
      10.   It`s called war 09:31  |  Yoel Keren 05/01/09
      11.   RE: Operation Cast Vote 09:31  |  enough is enough 05/01/09
      12.   Human Shields 09:37  |  Mucai 05/01/09
      13.   Here`s the thing, Maureen... 09:38  |  JP 05/01/09
      14.   I salute the Israeli press! 09:44  |  A Finn 05/01/09
      15.   humanitarian crisis - as we define it 10:10  |  Jim 05/01/09
      16.   MAUREEN awaiting your comments on how many Israeli civillians 10:16  |  PETER SM 05/01/09
      17.   #11 afinn wonders about the war on terrorism 10:21  |  v hardman 05/01/09
      18.   Palestinians own fault 10:21  |  T 05/01/09
      19.   PRIDE 10:22  |  SEBASTIAN 05/01/09
      20.   Hamas have brought nothing but misery 10:38  |  Peter Williams 05/01/09
      21.   Very Insightful 10:51  |  Javier Echevarria 05/01/09
      22.   #11 10:53  |  Reuven 05/01/09
      23.   No sympathy from Australia 11:09  |  SB 05/01/09
      24.   Who is responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza? 11:13  |  Mila 05/01/09
      25.   I understand the civillian pain 11:14  |  Jake 05/01/09
      26.   For "Used to Post Here" # 4 11:23  |  Clickfool 05/01/09
      27.   Amira Hass double standard on "humanitarian" 11:42  |  Joe Sittizen 05/01/09
      28.   #12,Human shields/mucai 11:42  |  Anne 05/01/09
      29.   So what? Noboddy died of starvation so it is not a crisis!!! 11:46  |  arthur 05/01/09
      30.   To T # 18 11:56  |  Robbie 05/01/09
      31.   To robbie @30 12:36  |  T 05/01/09
      32.   To Maurren Ann 12:44  |  French 05/01/09
      33.   Gilat Shalit might be sick already for 925 days!! 12:44  |  arthur 05/01/09
      34.   Wounded Gaza family 12:56  |  Ros Morris 05/01/09
      35.   What was being stored under the "innocent" family dwelling...??!! 13:01  |  Nirah 05/01/09
      36.   Joe Sittizen 13:24  |  IJ 05/01/09
      37.   Gaza family lay bleeding for 20 hours? 13:33  |  David Nigel Braham 05/01/09
      38.   Reuven #22 13:33  |  Matty Groves 05/01/09
      39.   what were children doing on the roof during a war? 13:33  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/01/09
      40.   for rab burns: protecting poor journalists... 13:41  |  pz 05/01/09
      41.   You Cannot Imprison Millions and Not Expect Some to Fight Back 13:41  |  Johan Odin 05/01/09
      42.   Sympathy from Australia 13:46  |  RN 05/01/09
      43.   No context 13:50  |  Rowan Berkeley 05/01/09
      44.   Used to Post Here - The cell phone was not invented by Israelis 13:59  |  American Inventor 05/01/09
      45.   I`m sorry, Amira 14:26  |  Aphemia 05/01/09
      46.   maureen ann,this is ALL your fault,when you decided to cheer 16:22  |  terrornator 05/01/09
      47.   Amira Hossein! I love your objectivity! 16:22  |  Jacques 05/01/09
      48.   to aphemia #45 16:23  |  Jean La Salle 05/01/09
      49.   Heck, David Nigel Braham 16:24  |  Mark Lincoln 05/01/09
      50.   Very good! 16:29  |  Botafogonisso 05/01/09
      51.   Maureen...Hi Sheila were outraged at the death of Israli`s too? 16:30  |  Fred 05/01/09
      52.   to # 41 16:34  |  Botafogonisso 05/01/09
      53.   Co-lateral damages 16:57  |  Hervé Villard 05/01/09
      54.   Al A`aiedy family didn`t deserve this 16:58  |  Mark Leaman 05/01/09
      55.   Palestinian ambulances 17:08  |  Dr D 05/01/09
      56.   Odin Wrong 17:15  |  Ori 05/01/09
      57.   the job of a journalist 17:21  |  Murray 05/01/09
      58.   Those who shoot bear the responsibility for the response 17:21  |  Victor 05/01/09
      59.   Amira, you deserve Rowan Berkeley`s #43! In spades. 17:32  |  S 05/01/09
      60.   To Jay, #6 19:20  |  Hamid 05/01/09
      61.   Gaza Suffering 19:20  |  Shay 05/01/09
      62.   Those who "hermetically" closed Gaza Strip bears responsibility 19:22  |  Bobos 05/01/09
      63.   why not a childrens corridor to safety? 19:27  |  rob 05/01/09
      64.   International press barred 19:32  |  Mike 05/01/09
      65.   RN were you proud at the shouts of "death to Israel" and cheers 20:08  |  PETER SM 05/01/09
      66.   Mark Lincoln 20:10  |  John 05/01/09
      67.   #39, Cipora Kohn 20:10  |  Silvienne 05/01/09
      68.   Israel`s military machine 20:24  |  Julie 05/01/09
      69.   The difference it makes-Thank you Amira 20:32  |  Samuel L Kent 05/01/09
      70.   to taly 20:50  |  Julie 05/01/09
      71.   PEACE AND WAR 20:54  |  A 05/01/09
      72.   Is this the smae Amirawho was convivted of slander? 20:55  |  r 05/01/09
      73.   To Cipora Julianna Kohn 20:59  |  Sawsan 05/01/09
      74.   Sorry I am more complex than you John 23:00  |  Mark Lincoln 05/01/09
      75.   Mike on barred journalists 23:24  |  FOX 05/01/09
      76.   To: Maureen in Bathurst 23:31  |  Angel 05/01/09
      77.   why not a childrens corridor to safety? 23:38  |  Mark Lincoln 05/01/09
      78.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 23:50  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 05/01/09
      79.   disgusting 39 01:34  |  vin 06/01/09
      80.   9: MSH: Hamas shahid summer camps. And you can prove this? 01:40  |  Tupac 06/01/09
      81.   39: Cipora: Is there a blockade in your illegal settelement? 01:49  |  Tupac 06/01/09
      82.   SB is very wrong 07:07  |  Larry 06/01/09
      83.   TO AMIRA 07:23  |  Arie 06/01/09
      84.   @ 07:07 | Larry 07:30  |  sammy 06/01/09
      85.   #78, Margie, TA 07:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/01/09
      86.   Families slaughtered 07:48  |  Anna A 06/01/09
      87.   To: Larry in Perth 08:58  |  Angel 06/01/09
      88.   Margie...I agree with Cipora 08:59  |  NMF 06/01/09
      89.   Cipora 08:59  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/01/09
      90.   Michael Hess....Israelis are normal because they care 09:02  |  MMM 06/01/09
      91.   Hamas lack diplomacy! Shooting rockets is not the answer 09:08  |  NMF 06/01/09
      92.   Schadenfreude 09:23  |  DDM 06/01/09
      93.   Israelis and Palestinians 09:27  |  Bill 06/01/09
      94.   R they really terrorists 09:53  |  Sulaiman 06/01/09
      95.   #89, Margie 09:54  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/01/09
      96.   78 Cipora:We finaly agree on something IDF does use human shields 09:54  |  Tupac 06/01/09
      97.   to # 93 10:05  |  Mila 06/01/09
      98.   schadenfreude 10:11  |  Sulaiman 06/01/09
      99.   Tupac 13:54  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/01/09
      100.   re: Clickfool 21:31  |  UsedToPostHere 06/01/09
     Read & React
    Livni: Israel should strike Hamas again to halt arms smuggling
    Responses: 44
    Amir Oren: 'Decisive' Gaza offensive merely rehearsal for next crisis versus Iran
    Responses: 8
    Netanyahu: Likud-led government wouldn't build new settlements
    Responses: 36
    Akiva Eldar: Saudi plan offers Israel united front with Arab states against Iran
    Responses: 10


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