Testimonies

Muhib a-dik, laborer

Two days ago [Thursday, 14 December], I was working at restoring the ancient Kafr a-Dik Palace , which was being funded by a Swedish organization. Around 10:45 A.M., before afternoon prayers, I was busy building the wall over the northern roof of the palace. As I was doing that, I heard shots and shouts of school kids.

I saw a soldier enter the palace courtyard, firing as he entered. Other soldiers also came into the courtyard. I moved back a bit so as not to be hit. After I hid from the soldiers, I didn't hear any more shots. I heard the soldiers talking in Hebrew with Nabih 'Othman Naji, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. I was about twenty meters from them. At that moment, Wahib a-Dik came through a door on the top floor. He was carrying two pails of cement. The moment he came through the door. I heard him say, "Not me, not me," and then I heard a volley of shots. I saw Wahib a-Dik fall about five meters to the ground.

I was frightened, and I backed away so the soldiers wouldn't see me. I waited until I was sure that the soldiers had gone. I walked to the palace's entrance. The laborers and others took Wahib to the road and laid him down at the entrance to the palace. He didn't move. Then we took him in a private car to the hospital in Ramallah.

Muhib Hassan Isma'il a-Dik, 27, married with two children, is a laborer and a resident of Kafr a-Dik, Salfit District. His testimony was given to 'Abd al-Karim Sa'adi in Kafr a-Dik, 16 December 2006.