Testimonies

Mahani 'Asi, age 13

Yesterday (4 May 2005), around 2:30 P.M., I was playing soccer with about ten other kids from my village. We were playing on a small field at the side of Mt. a-Sawaneh, which lies south of the village. At about 3:00 P.M., I saw five soldiers get out of a jeep that had stopped on Mt. Tanur, where they are building the separation fence. They came over toward us. The children began to whistle and shout at the soldiers. Some other children joined us. When the soldiers were about 20-30 meters from us, we began to throw stones at them. The soldiers fired rubber bullets and threw stun grenades at us. They chased us toward the village. Some more kids joined our group. We were a group of about 150 people aged 10-20. A confrontation ensued in a number of places, mostly at the northern edge of the mountain, closer to the homes in the village. We spread out in the olive groves, over an area of some 100 meters. The soldiers were at a higher altitude than us. Three soldiers were facing us. Two positioned themselves on the eastern side of the roof of al-Haj Mahmoud Abu Fawzi. They were firing rubber bullets and stun grenades to prevent us from getting close to them.

The confrontations continued until about 5:30, when the soldiers began to move southwards, toward where they had come from. Then the sound of rubber bullets began to intensify. We started to chase the soldiers and throw stones at them. About nine kids and I were in the front of the group running after them.

When we got to the highest point on the hill called Jabel a-Da'ek, I saw one of the soldiers, who was the last of the three soldiers and the one closest to us, stop and open intense gunfire with live ammunition. I can identify the sound of live ammo because it is sharp and has a high pitch. The shots were fired horizontally, right at us. The soldier who fired had a light complexion, medium build, was of average height, and wore glasses. I think he was about twenty-five years old. He fired a volley of shots. Zaher Ragheb, who is twelve years old, stood about fifteen meters to my right. Between the soldier and me were two children: Jamal Jabber, who was 15, was about ten meters from me, and about fifteen meters in front of him was fourteen-year-old 'Udai Mufid 'Asi. Along '‘Udai's line was eighteen-year-old Muhammad al-'‘Abd. The soldier was about twenty meters from '‘Udai. Faiz Nu'man,18, was about twenty-five meters to my left. Other kids were spread out over the area.

At that point in time, I saw Jamal get shot and fall down on his back. He fell in a rocky area. I knew he had been hit, and I shouted to the children who were behind me: '“Wounded, wounded, come and help.'” A few of them rushed over to Jamal. They came from behind me and picked him up while the shooting continued. I moved forward a bit, but I couldn't help in carrying him because I am small. Then I saw 'Udai get hit and fall to the ground. He tried to get up but couldn't. He motioned with his hand to call to someone. I saw Muhammad go over to him and lift him up. The soldier who had been shooting went toward Muhammad and tried to stop him. He shouted at him to leave the wounded, but Muhammad did not do as he was told and continued to pick up '‘Udai. A few other youths went over and helped him pick up '‘Udai. They walked about 250 meters, to a place where an ambulance was parked to evacuate wounded if necessary.

The soldier withdrew and the children headed toward the village. I went back to the village with the other children and went home. Later, around 8:00 P.M., I was told that 'Udai and Jamal had died.

Mahani Khader Faraj 'Asi, age 13, is a seventh-grade student and resident of Beit Liqya. His testimony was taken on 5 May 2005, by Iyad Hadad,

at the site of the incident.