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Terror In The Village That Became A Minefield

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A father and son in Khirbet el al­Hama stand by as military tanks pummel through their small community (MEE/Emily Mulder)
Palestine Monitor – 15 September 2010

For many villages in Area C, landmines have become a regular feature of daily life. Israeli military training zones occupy nearly 30% of the land, often based around civilian areas, leaving unexploded ordnance (UXO) that cause horrific injuries to local residents. We spent a few days with the victims to see how they live with the constant terror.

Rafat Al-Rushayida is 24, he has lived his whole life in the bedouin village east of Bethlehem that shares his name. Al-Rushayida has played host to a military training zone since 1967, which has now expanded into 50% of the village’s land. He and four young friends showed us what the soldiers left behind.

If children find a bomb it is custom to surround it with rocks as a warning to others.

Awad Al-Rushayida, father of Rafat, was crippled by a landmine last year and has been unable to work since. “They (Israeli army) don’t make it safe because they want the land. They want us to leave”, he says.

September 16, 2010 - Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism

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