Photo story: Israeli bulldozer driver murders
American peace activist Nigel Parry and Arjan El Fassed, The Electronic Intifada,
16 March 2003
An ISM volunteer holds
up Rachel Corrie's US passport as another peace activist sits in shock,
Al-Najjar Hospital, Rafah, Occupied Gaza. Rachel was killed by an
Israeli bulldozer driver while protesting the demolition of a
Palestinian home. (Mohammad Al-Moghair)
On 16 March 2003 in Rafah, occupied Gaza, 23-year-old American peace
activist Rachel Corrie from Olympia, Washington, was murdered by an
Israeli bulldozer driver. Rachel was in Gaza opposing the bulldozing of a
Palestinian home as a volunteer with the International
Solidarity Movement.
The girl, Rachel Corey
[sic], 23 years old from the state of Washington, was killed while she
was trying to prevent Israeli army bulldozers from destroying a
Palestinian home. Other foreigners who were with her said the driver of
the bulldozer was aware that Rachel was there, and continued to destroy
the house. Initially he dropped sand and other heavy debris on her, then
the bulldozer pushed her to the ground where it proceeded to drive over
her, fracturing both of her arms, legs and skull. She was transferred to
hospital, where she later died. Another foreigner was also injured in the
attack and has been hospitalized - at this stage his nationality is
unknown.(15 March 2003)
A press release from the International Solidarity
Movement stated that:
Rachel had been staying in
Palestinian homes threatened with illegal demolition, and today Rachel
was standing with other non-violent international activists in front of a
home scheduled for illegal demolition. According to witnesses, Rachel was
run over twice by the Israeli military bulldozer in its process of
demolishing the Palestinian home. Witnesses say that Rachel was clearly
visible to the bulldozer driver, and was doing nothing to provoke an
attack. (15 March 2003)
The photos below clearly
show that Rachel was well marked, had a megaphone, and posed no threat to
the bulldozer driver.
Rachel Corrie
confronts the bulldozer driver. (ISM Handout)
A clearly marked
Rachel Corrie, holding a megaphone, confronts an Israeli bulldozer
driver attempting to demolish a Palestinian home, Rafah, Occupied Gaza,
16 March 2003. (ISM Handout)
Other peace activists
tend to Rachel after being injured by the Israeli bulldozer driver,
Rafah, Occupied Gaza, 16 March 2003. (ISM Handout)
Rachel Corrie lies on
the ground fatally injured by the Israeli bulldozer, Rafah, Occupied
Gaza, 16 March 2003. (ISM Handout)
Rachel in Najjar
hostpital, Rafah, Occupied Gaza. Ha'aretz newspaper reported
that Dr. Ali Musa, a doctor at Al-Najjar, stated that the cause of
death was "skull and chest fractures". (Mohammad Al-Moghair)
A later report from ISM Media Coordinator Michael Shaikh in Beit Sahour
offered more details about the events:
The confrontation between
the ISM and the Israeli Army had been under way for two hours when Rachel
was run over. Rachel and the other activists had clearly identified
themselves as unarmed international peace activists throughout the confrontation.
The Israeli Army are attempting to dishonour her memory by claiming that
Rachel was killed accidentally when she ran in front of the bulldozer.
Eye-witnesses to the murder insist that this is totally untrue. Rachel
was sitting in the path of the bulldozer as it advanced towards her. When
the bulldozer refused to stop or turn aside she climbed up onto the mound
of dirt and rubble being gathered in front of it wearing a fluorescent
jacket to look directly at the driver who kept on advancing. The
bulldozer continued to advance so that she was pulled under the pile of
dirt and rubble. After she had disappeared from view the driver kept
advancing until the bulldozer was completely on top of her. The driver
did not lift the bulldozer blade and so she was crushed beneath it. Then
the driver backed off and the seven other ISM activists taking part in
the action rushed to dig out her body. An ambulance rushed her to A-Najar
hospital where she died.
Colleagues of Rachel
comfort each other in Najjar hostpital, Rafah, Occupied Gaza. Ha'aretz
newspaper reported that a second activist was also injured at the same
location. (Mohammad Al-Moghair)
"This is a regrettable accident," Israeli
Defence Forces [sic] spokesman Captain Jacob Dallal was reported as
saying in Ha'aretz newspaper. "We are dealing with a group of
protesters who were acting very irresponsibly, putting everyone in
danger."
Members of the Israeli army and associated Israeli settler paramilitary
units have been responsible for the killing of 2,181 Palestinians and the
injuring of another 22,218 between 29 September 2000 and 14 March 2003.
In addition to the killing of Rachel Corrie by the bulldozer driver,
Israeli troops have shot and killed several other internationals in
different incidents during the Intifada: German doctor Harald Fischer,
Italian cameraman Rafaeli Ciriello, and British
United Nations worker Iain Hook.
Nigel Parry and Arjan El Fassed are two founders of the Electronic Intifada.
Michael Brown and Ken Harper also contributed to this report.
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