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Israel's shooting of young girl highlights international
hypocrisy, say Palestinians
Chris McGreal in Khan Yunis
01/30/06 "The
Guardian" -- -- As the votes were counted in the
Palestinian election and the scale of Hamas's landslide became
apparent to the world, Aya al-Astal drifted away from her home
and wandered towards the fence along the border between the Gaza
strip and Israel.
The nine-year-old girl's parents realised she was gone as they
watched the election results on television. They do not know
precisely what happened, but the Israeli army later said Aya was
behaving in a suspicious manner reminiscent of a terrorist - she
got too close to the border fence - and so a soldier fired
several bullets into the child, hitting her in the neck and
blowing open her stomach.
Aya was the second child killed by the Israeli army last week.
Soldiers near Ramallah shot 13-year-old Munadel Abu Aaalia in
the back as he walked along a road reserved for Jewish settlers
with two friends. The army said the boys planned to throw rocks
at Israeli cars, which the military defines as terrorism.
The two killings went unnoticed by the outside world amid the
political drama, but they made their impact among Palestinians
angered by demands from western leaders for Hamas to recognise
Israel and renounce its armed struggle.
Some Palestinians see the demands as a rejection of a democratic
election and as siding with Israel. Others see hypocrisy. They
say Israeli soldiers killed twice as many Palestinians last week
alone - both of them children - as the number of Israelis killed
by Hamas all last year.
"Aya was shot in the neck and stomach. Her stomach was hanging
out," said the child's mother, Aisha. "We have no idea why she
went there but she was a child. She was so small. She was nine
years old. She didn't wear a hijab. It was clear she was just a
young girl. This is hatred."
Hamas is responsible for the murder of more than 400 Israelis.
But since it declared a ceasefire a year ago the group has
killed one Israeli, according to the Israeli government's own
figures. Sasson Nuriel was kidnapped in September and forced to
record a video demanding the release of prisoners. Hamas said it
shot him when the army got close to finding him.
Hamas also carried out a suicide bombing at Beer Sheva bus
station in August that seriously wounded two security guards,
and it was behind some of the attacks by rudimentary rockets
fired from Gaza into Israel that frequently terrify but rarely
kill. Hamas said it launched the rockets in response to Israeli
attacks.
"Hamas has kept the calm for a year. Israel is still killing our
civilians," said the Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud al-Zahar.
"Why is it that the Israelis can continue to kill our people,
innocent people walking down the street, and there is no
criticism from those who tell us we must give up our historic
struggle against occupation? Why are they so afraid to criticise
Israel but tell us what to do?"
The Astal family is politically divided. Aya's mother voted for
Hamas. The child's aunt, Samir al-Astal, backed the losing
party, Fatah. But there is little difference in their belief
that there is a double standard at work in the foreign demands
of Israel and of Palestinians.
"The Americans always give excuses for Israel," said Samir.
"Israel is like a spoilt son. They never pressure them. They
kill our children and no one says anything. If there is a
reaction by Palestinians to these incidents they call us
terrorists."
Israel said it regretted civilian deaths but added that they
were accidental, unlike those caused by suicide bombs. It said
Hamas was "intensively involved in terrorist actions" despite
the ceasefire.
© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
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