Palestinian refugee children in Lebanon shocked at boy's televised killing

“ Palestinian refugee children, stunned at the televised weekend killing in the Gaza Strip of a 12-year-old boy, joined demonstrations Tuesday against the massacres in the Palestinian territories.

Young Palestinian Mohamed al-Durra was killed, and his father gravely wounded, when they came under “Israeli” fire on Saturday.

The incident was captured on film by a French television crew, and photos were published in newspapers across the world on Sunday, evoking unamimous reactions of shock and horror.

"Seeing a child of my age being murdered on television was a horrible, horrible sight, and I have been in shock since then," said Ibrahim Taha.

Ihab al-Sadid, also 12, said: "it was the first time that I follow political news on television, and I had to see a child being murdered."

Taha and Sadid were among hundreds of youngsters taking part in demonstrations at the Rashidiyeh Palestinian refugee camp near Tyre and further north in Ain el-Helweh, the largest shantytown in south Lebanon.

The “Israeli” army admitted that it could have fired the shot that killed the boy during the wave of violence sparked by Thursday's visit of “Israeli” right-wing leader Ariel Sharon to east Quds's mosque compound.

Sadid, with a face blackened by smoke from the tires he had been burning at the entrance of the camp during the protest, said "they are killing our children because they are afraid that they will grow up and fight them.

"They did it on purpose; I saw them. They kept firing until Mohamed died. Our schools have been on strike for three days, and we will continue our protests until the world hears our voice," said Khaled Hamdi, 12.

Rida Saleh, a 13-year-old wearing military fatigues, was pleading with photographers on site to take him with them "to Palestine because I also want to die as a martyr, and I only want to die there.

"They killed him because he was small. They are mighty and they only dare young children, but when we grow up we will avenge Mohamed," said Saleh.

Nine-year-old Khaled Hamad wiped at the black smudge on his face and defiantly waved a Palestinian flag before shouting angrily: "If I could shoot the “Israelis”, I would not hesitate."

Mohammed Agha, 11, said "I wish Mohamed had a weapon to defend himself," before turning to chant with other children: "the blood of the martyrs in Quds is calling you."

At the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Tyre, about 300 Palestinian refugee boys and girls aged between five and seven held a sit-in.

"All of us are the brothers and the sisters of the martyr Mohamed al-Durra," said a banner. "“Israel”, the assassin is killing Palestinian children," read another.

The children, from the three Palestinian refugee camps in the Tyre region, held placards reading: "Palestine is a responsibility for all of us" and "yes to resistance and yes to rifles -- the only way to liberate the land."

"I want to kill the Isarelis like they killed my Palestinian brother Mohamed," said Mohammed Natour, 14.

"I am shocked and I have been extremely sad since seing Mohamed's savage murder while the entire world was watching him on television without being able to help," he said.

At the entrance of the Ain el-Helweh camp, youths torched “Israeli” and US flags and burned effigies of “Israeli” Prime Minister Ehud Barak and right-wing opposition leader Ariel Sharon.

Many women wept silently as they carried black and white pictures of the young Durra.

And in Beirut, around 20,000 Palestinians and Lebanese took to the streets to protest against the “Israeli” massacres.

1-     AFP, 3-10-2000.