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Amira Hass / Gazans say IDF troops ignored white flags and shot at them By Amira Hass Tags: Amira Hass, Gaza, Hamas  Click here for more articles by Amira Hass Gaza residents are claiming that some Palestinians killed during the three weeks of fighting were waving white flags at the time they were shot. Four of them were members of the A-Najar family of the village of Khuza'a, east of Khan Yunis. Statements attesting to the circumstances surrounding their deaths was provided to the B'Tselem human rights organization and Haaretz over the telephone. Advertisement On the night between January 12-13, Israel Defense Forces soldiers entered Khuza'a, which is only a few hundred meters from the border with Israel. A few hours of shelling caused fires, which residents attempted to put out, Monir A-Najar told Haaretz on Monday. At around 5 A.M., the tanks started to enter the town's eastern sections. Thick smoke prevented residents from seeing what was happening, and they only heard sounds of the destruction of houses, shooting and shelling. The residents of the houses, adults and children, climbed out on the roofs of their houses on their own and for about an hour stood and waved white flags. Helicopters fired at them "in order to scare them, not to injure them," said Monir A-Najar. At that point, about 8 A.M., the soldiers used loudspeakers to order them to gather at the center of the village. A few dozen of the residents gathered in the courtyard of Osama A-Najar's house. Monir A-Najar said the soldiers ordered them to leave the house two at a time. The first to leave were Ruwahiya and Yasmin A-Najar. Yasmin told B'Tselem on January 14 that another group of women came out of a number of neighboring houses. "We walked at the head of a group of women and we waved white flags. We managed to pass three houses on the street and then I saw an Israeli soldier 40 meters away aiming his weapon at us," said Yasmin A-Najar. "I thought he wanted us to come closer. Ruwahiya and I continued to walk and suddenly the soldier shot at us." Yasmin was wounded in her right leg and Ruwahiya fell on the street with her head bleeding. The rest of the women panicked and scattered, hiding while the shooting continued. Yasmin said she tried to return and help Ruwahiya but the soldiers fired at her. They also shot at the ambulance driver who arrived and he was forced to turn back, she said. When Ruwahiya was finally evacuated at 8 P.M., she was already dead. In the morning, the army continued to destroy houses in the neighborhood, they said. The people who were hiding in the houses, after Ruwahiya was killed, started to flee the tanks, yelling Allahu Akhbar, said Monir A-Najar. "We were all holding white flags, women's head scarves. We were fleeing and they were shooting at us," Monir A-Najar told Haaretz. He said special forces were deployed in the streets. He said that when those fleeing were 100-150 meters from Osama A-Najar's house, three family members were killed: Mahmoud A-Najar, 56; Ahmad A-Najar, 25; and Halil A-Najar, 80. Monir said another 10 residents were killed that day, most from a missile that hit the school and a house next to it, where they were taking refuge. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights said one of those killed was a member of the Iz al-Din al-Qassam militant wing of Hamas. Of the 50 houses destroyed or severely damaged in the town, the PCHR says one belonged to another Iz al-Din al-Qassam activist. During the two weeks of the ground assault it was difficult for representatives of human rights groups to gather full statements from residents. Human rights workers were limited in their ability to meet face to face with residents due to the danger involved in travelling within the Gaza Strip, and even telephone contacts were often fragmented. They have begun gathering more precise information on the wounding deaths and injuries of many civilians. The PCHR said the total number of dead as of January 18 was 1,251; of whom 168 were policemen. 292 were children and 97 were women. The PCHR says 179 of those killed were armed militants. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Celebrities scam Arab world celebrities 'swindled of millions by Egyptian fraudster'. Holocaust denial Vatican: Bishop who denied the Holocaust must recant his positions.   1.   they say lots of things mostly lies. 05:23  |  ralph 20/01/09   2.   Amira Hass....get out of Ramallah 05:44  |  Maria 20/01/09   3.   White Flag with a belt of bombs.... 05:53  |  Salomon Mizrahi 20/01/09   4.   madame 06:10  |  jean la salle 20/01/09   5.   Amira, didn`t your buddy say he won the war? What white flag? 06:20  |  Misha Prokoloff 20/01/09   6.   Amira Haas` lonely moral voice 06:29  |  Samuel L Kent M.D. 20/01/09   7.   ignoring what 06:30  |  robert 20/01/09   8.   Killing Palestinians with Whit Flags 06:43  |  Balla 20/01/09   9.   Waving White Flags? 06:44  |  Michael 20/01/09   10.   Gazans ignored Sderot`s laundry lines 07:08  |  hmm 20/01/09   11.   Give me a break 07:11  |  Gary 20/01/09   12.   The IDF lack of common decency is disgraceful. 07:28  |  Dutch 20/01/09   13.   Samuel Kent 07:32  |  Connie 20/01/09   14.   Policemen 07:36  |  Freddy 20/01/09   15.   Same old Same old 07:38  |  Jonathan 20/01/09   16.   Thanks to Amira Haas and all defenders of human rights 07:47  |  S Awaad 20/01/09   17.   IDF Troops 08:06  |  T.A.T. 20/01/09   18.   Amira writes to the normal person`s moral conscience... 08:08  |  BBSNews 20/01/09   19.   Everyone says Amira Hass ignores terrorist atrocities 08:18  |  SDHD 20/01/09   20.   Good job 08:27  |  Rukiding 20/01/09   21.   Lie detectors 08:30  |  Arvind 20/01/09   22.   White flags 09:38  |  raoul 20/01/09   23.   Alleged war atrocities should be investigated 09:47  |  Physicist 20/01/09   24.   Gazans say IDF troops ignored... 09:53  |  David Nigel Braham 20/01/09   25.   Yes mistakes were made however even PCHR admits militans present 10:59  |  arthur 20/01/09   26.   Haaretz: omission or self-censoring? 11:12  |  Hebrew reader 20/01/09   27.   More lies and Hamas propaganda 11:34  |  Ehud 20/01/09   28.   Even if Jews are perfect, Jew haters will come up with totally 11:52  |  Melody 20/01/09   29.   allmighty soldier 12:21  |  christof litz 20/01/09   30.   It is great to read the comments 12:25  |  Medo 20/01/09   31.   A physician? 12:33  |  Mark 20/01/09   32.   What will be said at the International Ttribunal 13:05  |  Seawife 20/01/09   33.   #27, Medo 13:27  |  palestinain refugee 20/01/09   34.   The theory prevailing among the pro-Gaza camp 13:36  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/01/09   35.   I don`t want to be normal BBS. Please preach in other Church 13:42  |  Israeli citizen 20/01/09   36.   Amira Hass , I respect you and respect your work 14:06  |  Jordanian Journalist 20/01/09   37.   Good job Amira 14:27  |  Ayman 20/01/09   38.   White flags flanking terror rockets Amira 14:38  |  Harvey 20/01/09   39.   White Flags 16:43  |  Danny Aryeh 20/01/09   40.   Amira Hass 16:45  |  Jules Kadish 20/01/09   41.   The top of the iceberg 17:04  |  rob 20/01/09   42.   Soldiers were getting many reports of female suicide bombers... 17:06  |  Boris 20/01/09   43.   Speaking of "moral pygmies" Margaret... 17:08  |  BBSNews 20/01/09   44.   Even if 17:25  |  Mark 20/01/09   45.   Jordanian Journalist 18:42  |  Gideon 20/01/09   46.   enrique 18:44  |  rabinovich 20/01/09   47.   #27 Medo . So true. 19:02  |  jayem 20/01/09   48.   Thanks to Amira Hass 19:07  |  Kodi 20/01/09   49.   #2, Maria to Amira.... 19:16  |  Silvienne 20/01/09   50.   Raoul in Holland 19:18  |  fiona 20/01/09   51.   Well, of course they did! 19:18  |  Silvienne 20/01/09   52.   #35, Israeli citizen... 19:20  |  Silvienne 20/01/09   53.   Gazans saw Sderot`s playgrounds 19:20  |  and fired missiles 20/01/09   54.   Medo in Croatia 19:23  |  short memory 20/01/09   55.   Aw come on Amira 20:18  |  Mark Lincoln 20/01/09   56.   Amira Hass, the anti-Israel propaganda artist 20:22  |  James Spade 20/01/09   57.   #43, Oh my! Much revisionist history going on here.... 20:42  |  Silvienne 20/01/09   58.   Amira have a look at Youtube. The story is not correct 21:03  |  Jo 20/01/09   59.   #43 about Silvienne 21:05  |  x-ray 20/01/09   60.   Honestly Silvienne, you say humanism is shown by having blood 21:06  |  x-ray 20/01/09   61.   Silvienne for eight years Hamas celebrated hits on Sderot 21:08  |  x-ray 20/01/09   62.   #1 - ralph. Israel wrote the book regarding lies & coverup. 21:18  |  News Crew 20/01/09   63.   Remember the treatment of Jews during WW2 21:19  |  Paul 20/01/09   64.   #44 Wake up Fiona. The whole world knows... 21:22  |  Maureen Ann 20/01/09   65.   #Medo in Croatia 21:23  |  Medo 20/01/09   66.   #2- Maria. Sounds like a Pig in lipstick 21:25  |  Haha. 20/01/09   67.   #50 - James Spade. Here in USA it`s called fair & balance. 21:28  |  Tracy 20/01/09   68.   #dead children,sylvienne 21:40  |  nina 20/01/09   69.   Hamas saw residential blocks in Sderot 21:42  |  and fired missiles 20/01/09   70.   white flags: answer to Fiona 22:26  |  raoul 20/01/09   71.   is that what they said Amira? 22:34  |  Dave 20/01/09   72.   #43 BS News 23:33  |  Moshe 20/01/09   73.   Choose the one that does not apply. 23:39  |  alan the real one 20/01/09   74.   Amira will always be Amira ! 23:45  |  Johann 20/01/09   75.   OK, Raoul, let`s have a dialogue 23:57  |  fiona 20/01/09   76.   #70 raoul 00:03  |  Moshe 21/01/09   77.   Paul, remember the Jews? 00:10  |  survivor 21/01/09   78.   #34 Exclusively? Ooops! 00:13  |  sh 21/01/09   79.   #68, Nina,... 00:13  |  Silvienne 21/01/09   80.   #64 Maureen Ann 00:38  |  Moshe 21/01/09   81.   white Flags answer to Fiona 00:54  |  raoul 21/01/09   82.   Bottom Line 01:00  |  Adam 21/01/09   83.   Here`s two Gideon from Kiryat-Ono... 01:15  |  BBSNews 21/01/09   84.   the white flag 02:08  |  Michelle Wayne 21/01/09   85.   Moshe, why post things people know are untruths? 02:32  |  BBSNews 21/01/09   86.   Amira Hass and journalistic hypocrisy 02:41  |  allang 21/01/09   87.   silvienne 02:49  |  Michelle Wayne 21/01/09   88.   to Medo and similar crackers who think Gaza is spelt with a G 03:42  |  Claude P. 21/01/09   89.   Thanks for your answer, Raoul 03:44  |  fiona 21/01/09   90.   Do not blame the wrong ones 03:45  |  jag van eimeren 21/01/09   91.   disproportionality - to Raoul and Co. 12:52  |  Skeptic 21/01/09   92.   Information in Holland 13:11  |  jag van eimeren 21/01/09   93.   Israelis are either naive or ill-informed 13:29  |  Ed 21/01/09   94.   One innocent life lost is one too many,but look at the statistics 15:11  |  An Israeli 21/01/09   95.   i was waving white flag in shderot. yet hamas kept fireing rocket 15:36  |  ithak 21/01/09   96.   white flags; answer to Fiona 17:12  |  raoul 21/01/09   97.   #87, Michelle Wayne...what I`m reading... 17:38  |  Silvienne 21/01/09   98.   yeah and.... 17:50  |  Kobi former Swede 21/01/09   99.   Thank you Amira for your dedication to JUSTCE, & Fairplay 18:36  |  Rachel 21/01/09   100.   sad 20:43  |  Yorel 21/01/09   101.   #92 Jag in Holland 22:43  |  fiona 21/01/09   102.   message to skeptis and Fiona 23:19  |  raoul 21/01/09   103.   Information in Holland 02:30  |  jag van eimeren 22/01/09   104.   Hello, Jag in Holland 18:12  |  fiona 22/01/09   105.   THIS MAD WORLD! 21:07  |  LoyalFriend 30/01/09   106.   White flags in Sderot ignored for 8 years 18:03  |  Shlomo 05/02/09

Read & React Archbishop who ran arms to PLO said aboard seized Gaza aid ship Responses: 74 Gaza doctor who lost daughters in IDF strike: Everyone makes mistakes Responses: 62 Amira Hass: Gaza burn victims exhibit possible signs of white phosphorous wounds Responses: 43 Hamas: Draft for Gaza truce has been reached Responses: 41 Israeli Arab push for election boycott gathers momentum Responses: 43 Stockholm police arrest two for throwing shoe, books at Israeli envoy Responses: 44 More Headlines 17:57 Egypt detains top Hamas man taking $11m to Gaza 16:56 Russia plans to start up Iran nuclear plant in 2009 17:21 Archbishop who ran arms to PLO said aboard seized Gaza aid ship 18:25 Elections 2009 / Livni: Every Israeli must do IDF or national service 12:22 IDF kills Jihad man in West Bank over plot to attack Israel 11:08 Gaza burn victims exhibit possible signs of white phosphorous wounds 12:29 Madoff scam victims named; sons and brother on list 18:20 Merkel praises Vatican demand that bishop recant Holocaust-denial 15:03 Umm al-Fahm vows to block far-rightist from entering city on election day 17:28 Top defense official Gilad heads to Cairo for Gaza truce talks 14:13 Elections 2009 / Israeli Arab election boycott gathers speed 11:02 Stockholm police arrest two for throwing shoe at Israeli envoy 04:13 Fearing court action, IDF begins purging officer details from documents 12:05 Elections 2009 / Barak refuses to rule out joining coalition with Lieberman 13:03 After years of hunting Nazi 'Dr. Death,' Germany now looking for his body 11:01 South Africa Jews welcome minister's apology over 'Jews control America' jibe Previous Editions Select Day 04 feb 03 feb 02 feb 01 feb 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan 26 jan 25 jan 23 jan 22 jan

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