Destruction in Al Ein refugee camp in Nablus, repeated invasions and attacks carried by the Israeli forces became a daily event over the last two weeks. The camp is one of the smallest refugee camps in the occupied West Bank, by size and population, but became a target for the Israeli attacks.
Mahmoud Ibrahim Thiab, member of the Popular Service Commitee in the camp, said that the total population is 6800 persons living in several neighborhoods, built on 40 Dunams, which made the camp heavily crowded.
“48 residents were killed by the Israeli forces in the camp since the Al Aqsa Intifada started late September 2000”, Thiab stated, “The majority died during Israeli military offenses and attacks carried in the camp, and some died in suicide bombings inside Israel”.
Resident Anan Barakat, a local driver, said that the army uses some of the high buildings in the camp in order to control it every time they carry an invasion.
“It is easy to surround the camp, it is small in size”, Barakat said,”In recent days, the army carried repeated invasions, especially at dawn, one of the attacks lasted for ten hours and left huge damage to the properties and houses, especially since the army used military bulldozers”.
In most cases, Israeli soldiers would break into the home of Ahmad Al Haj Ali, a Palestinian Legislator, during the invasions, search his house and abuse his family after forcing them out. Al Haj became “wanted” to the Israeli security several months ago.
“Israel is repeating our Nakba (Catastrophe) in every refugee camp, more than five decade ago they expelled us from our land and we became refugees”, Al Haj said, “Now they are attacking us again, trying to force us bow, and force us forget our national legitimate rights by damaging our homes in the refugee camps”.
He added that all human rights organizations and the UNRWA should expose the Israeli practices against the Palestinian people.
Meanwhile, Al Ein Youth Center became a place where people receive condolences for the casualties of the Israeli attacks, especially since the several residents were killed in the camp over the past two weeks as a result of the ongoing military offensives.
The latest casualty was killed today, Thursday; he was identified as Mohammad Salama Hmeidan, 25. Hmeidan was shot and killed during a pre-dawn military offensive when under-cover forces of the Israeli armed invaded the camp after surrounding it.
Soldiers, as they always do in similar attacks, broke into dozens of homes, searched them and used some of them as military posts and monitoring towers.
Several families were forced out of their home, and were kept out in spite of the cold weather, as soldiers searched their homes, and in many cases, piratically occupied their homes.
Palestine News Network
