Do not leave me alone

On Friday June 9th 2006, Huda, a seven year old Palestinian girl
marched in tears, with thousands of angry people, for the funeral of
her family. Millions were also made angry as they watched on TV,
moved by the scene. In a few minutes Huda had lost all her family
members, and became an orphan, losing her mother, father and
three little brothers and sisters. The little girl could not absorb the
shock, she was jumping up and down, throwing sand on her face
and head, moving around the bodies of her family members like an
injured bird. She fell down unconscious seven times crying, and
woke up shouting and calling her family members; “Do not leave
me alone”. Men, women and children could not prevent their tears
as they saw Huda creeping on the ground, kissing her father’s
grave and crying “Forgive me Dad, forgive me Dad”.

Her family members were on the seaside when Huda went home to
bring back something that was missing for the barbecue. She
returned to find her father, mother, three brothers and sisters lying
on the sand in a blood pool. The Israeli Army turned Huda’s life into
hellfire and orphanhood, killling all her family while they were sitting
on the beach. The children had been playing around their mum
and dad enjoying the fresh breeze, talking, eating, and playing.
The Israeli Army did not give them a chance to just be happy, they
sent several rockets killling all of Huda’s family members,
massacring them all.

Following the Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006, the
Palestinian community is living under sanctions imposed by many
international parties who decided to stop their financial support.
Since then, the Israeli Army has escalated intensified shelling,
assassinations, incursions, and strict closures. People are
punished for running democratic elections, which had been
described as the most democratic in the region. Consequently, the
poor health conditions, social and economic situations have
deteriorated very rapidly, leading to an even deeper humanitarian
catastrophe. Many vulnerable groups, like children and women, are
severely affected, their basic human needs are unmet, and they
lack medical and health facilities. Many children, like Huda, have
lost their parents, houses, and their childhood. Many children are
traumatized and deprived of basic human needs.

In this respect, the Jesoor organization underlines that generations
of Palestinian children have accumulated years of exposure to long-
term traumatic experiences, being exposed to various forms of
violence, loss, house demolitions and injury. This would lead to
hazardous long term psychosocial and political impact on the
peace building processes.

We urge the international community, human rights organizations,
United Nations institutions and European governments to pressure
Israeli government, so that it stops its escalade of aggression,
massacre, torture and traumatization of Palestinian children, and re-
opens borders, allowing for free movement of medication and
goods, and thus giving Palestinian children a chance to live in
peace and dignity.

With the coming of June 26th, the Jesoor organization urges all
those who believe in peace, prosperity, dignity, humanity and
respect to stop this torture of the Palestinian people.

The Jesoor administration