16 mars 2003

 

Une pacifiste américaine assassinée
par le conducteur d'un bulldozer israélien à Rafah

Une militante pacifiste américaine est morte écrasée dimanche par un bulldozer israélien, à Rafah, au sud de Gaza, alors qu'elle tentait avec d'autres militants de s'opposer à la destruction de maisons palestiniennes, selon des témoins américains et palestiniens.

Cette mort qualifiée "d'accidentelle" par l'armée israélienne est la première d'un militant pacifiste étranger pro-palestinien depuis le début de l'Intifada en septembre 2000.

Les Etats-Unis, "regrettent profondément" la mort de Rachel Corey, a déclaré le département d'Etat, en qualifiant le décès de la pacifiste américaine de "tragique". Il a refusé de condamner cet incident mais a déclaré qu'il avait fait fait savoir à Israël qu'il attendait une enquête détaillée sur cette affaire.

Rachel Corrie, 23 ans, originaire de Washington, est morte écrasée par un bulldozer, ont affirmé le Dr Ali Moussa, responsable de l'hôpital de Rafah, et un militant pacifiste américain témoin de l'incident.

"Elle était assise sur la trajectoire du bulldozer. Son conducteur l'a vue, il a poursuivi sa route et lui est passé dessus", a déclaré l'un de ses camarades, le militant pacifiste américain Joseph Smith.

"Il (le conducteur du bulldozer) était tout à fait conscient qu'elle était devant lui", a ajouté cet étudiant de 20 ans, originaire du Missouri.

Les militants pacifistes se trouvaient sur les lieux où opéraient deux bulldozers israéliens depuis environ une heure quand l'incident mortel est survenu, a-t-il indiqué. L'un des bulldozers avait déjà projeté l'un d'entre eux contre une clôture de fil de fer barbelé, a-t-il précisé.

La jeune femme est décédée des suites de graves blessures à la tête et aux jambes, selon le Dr Moussa.

L'armée israélienne a exprimé ses regrets pour la mort de la jeune femme dans un communiqué.

"Apparemment le bulldozer de l'armée a heurté accidentellement la jeune femme qui s'approchait trop près malgré les ordres de l'armée de s'éloigner", affirme un porte-parole de l'armée dans un communiqué.

Il a souligné que le "conducteur d'un bulldozer blindé a un faible champ de visibilité" et estimé qu'il n'avait "pas du apercevoir la jeune femme".

Le conducteur n'a pas été arrêté, a précisé un porte-parole militaire, tout en soulignant que "l'enquête n'est pas achevée".

Selon le communiqué, des "dizaines de manifestants ont pénétré auparavant dans une zone interdite et entravé l'action de l'armée".

Les bulldozers israéliens avaient détruit deux maisons palestiniennes avant l'incident qui a coûté la vie à la jeune militante, selon des responsables locaux palestiniens.

Les militants présents sur place au moment de l'incident mortel appartiennent au Mouvement international de solidarité (ISM) avec les Palestiniens. Ils s'opposaient à l'avancée des bulldozers israéliens, appuyés par un char, qui détruisaient des bâtiments palestiniens à Rafah, proche de la frontière israélo-égyptienne.

Depuis le début de l'Intifada, l'armée israélienne a détruit des centaines de maisons palestiniennes.

Voir aussi : http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article1248.shtml

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.

An e-mailed report from the Palestine Monitor stated:
Rachel Corrie (ISM Handout)
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.

 


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