In response to a call for solidarity from Gazan women, a Jewish activist group dubbed “Return” gathered to hold a memorial for Razan Al Najar, at the location of her village of origin, Salama.
While thousands of women marched towards the border in the Saja’iya area in Gaza, the activists held a ceremony honoring Razan and the protesters shot dead by Israeli snipers.
The activists called for the implementation of the right of return and hung photos of the slain protesters placing flowers and candles on a structure that proceeded the Zionist state.
“Razan did not see Salama, but she and all the refugees who are not present here physically are always present here with us, as a void an absence, something that is missing here until their inevitable return,” stated one of the activists.
How many young people killed, who never lived to see freedom?
How many children and youth, have never known a life without Israel’s bombs destroying their homes, schools, hospitals, shelters, and killing entire families. It is sad, inhumane, and cruel. How many parents have lost their children, and will never see them married, and living in peace? How many will survive this slow genocide, will be get back their stolen lands, and live without fear of being killed by a precision bomb, or a sniper? How many Arab nations will plot and plan with the occupier, and ignore the plight of their own? No one seems to have the answers.
She deserves to be memorialized.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reports:
On Friday, 06 July 2018, using excessive lethal force against the peaceful protesters in eastern Gaza Strip for the 15th Friday in a row, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 111 other civilians, including 24 children, 7 women, 5 paramedics and a journalist, in addition to dozens suffering tear gas inhalation. Upon a Decision by the highest political and military echelons, the Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against the peaceful protesters, who posed no threat to the life of the soldiers.
• Investigations and observations by PCHR’s fieldworkers during this week emphasize the following:
• Dozens of Israeli Forces’ snipers continued to position on the hills, behind the sand barriers and in military jeeps along the border fence in front of the peaceful demonstrations in the eastern Gaza Strip.
• According to PCHR’s fieldworkers, the number of youth gatherings near the border fence augmented to reach dozens who set fire to tires and attempted to throw stones at the Israeli forces.
• The Israeli snipers deliberately and selectively opened fire at the participants in the peaceful demonstrations which included thousands of civilians in different areas in the eastern Gaza Strip.
• The Israeli forces continued to target the medical personnel directly and deliberately as they wounded 5 of them this week. Moreover, a medical point was hit with tear gas canisters in eastern al-Buriej Camp, causing dozens of medical personnel suffer tear gas inhalation. Furthermore, many tear gas canisters fell near where the ambulance were parking though the medical personnel members, means of medical transport, and field hospitals were distinctively marked and easily identified. The medical personnel was wearing their distinctive medical uniform, and the ambulances were 300 meters away from the border fence.
• The Israeli forces widely used bursts of tear gas canisters and from drones, military jeep and soldiers’ rifles, targeting the center of the demonstrations and near the demonstrators near the border fence. As a result, many civilians were directly targeted and hit with tear gas canisters, causing serious injuries, while the gas coming of them made dozens suffer tear gas inhalation, fainting and seizures. Some of them were transferred to hospitals, including few so far receive medical treatment.
• The demonstrations were as always fully peaceful, and PCHR’s fieldworkers did not witness weapons or armed persons even dressed in civilian clothes among the demonstrators, who were thousands of elderlies, women, children and entire families, demonstrating near the border fence and raising flags, chanting slogans and national songs, flying kites and burning tires.
• Journalists were again targeted with tear gas canisters, wounding a journalist in eastern al-Buriej Camp.
• The Israeli unjustified and fallacious incitement against the peaceful demonstrations and encampments continues, perceiving the demonstration itself as danger. This hereby violates the right to peaceful assembly codified in all International instruments.
The full PCHR report:
New Crime of Excessive Use of Lethal Force against Peaceful Demonstrators in Gaza Strip
http://www.pchrgaza.org
I am proud of my Israeli Activists. I wish I could be with there!