News Highlights:
- On May 18th, 20 Palestinians were killed in one day in Gaza by Israeli forces during assault on Rafah for home demolitions; ambulances ambushed as they transfer wounded to hospital. Two of the dead were brother and sister, 13 and 16-years-old; the family was trapped in one room with the bodies because ambulances were being denied access to the area.
- Another 6 Palestinians killed as missile hit Bilal Bin Rabah mosque.
- 35-year old Palestinian man shot in the neck by an Israeli sniper; medical teams shot as they attempted to reach him.
- In the week prior to May 18th, another 30 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza, including 3 children.
- The home demolitions have been declared war crimes by Israeli and international human rights groups.
Israeli peace group Gush Shalom calls on all international supporters to condemn the “premeditated massive destruction of hundreds of homes”, which aims at turning Gaza into a huge prison camp.
Feature:
A special Eyewitness Palestine – Eyewitness Rafah with two reports, one from the small hospital in Rafah and the other a background piece on home demolitions in Gaza. The first report from news agencies told about the overcrowding and lack of supplies at the only hospital in the area, and also spoke about the deliberate targeting of ambulances by the Israeli military. The second report by Palestine Monitor explained that in the last three and a half years, 3000 homes have been demolished in Gaza alone, with 1000 of those in Rafah. They compared what is happening in Rafah to ethnic cleansing and called for immediate international intervention.
Focus on Zionism:
A personal account by a Palestinian from Rafah currently living in England, detailing his feelings of agony and horror as he sees and hears the news about family and friends. His cousin, father of 3, was crushed by a bulldozer trying to protect his home.