Fadi al-Balbul, barber
I live with my father, mother, and brothers in a house in the Al-Fawaghrah neighborhood, near the vegetable market in town. We live on the ground floor. My uncle Ahmad, his wife, and children live on the floor above us. My uncle is wanted by the Israeli army. He signed a hudna agreement and the Palestinian security apparatuses have the Israeli pardon document. Even so, he did not sleep at home because he was afraid the Israelis would arrest him.
I have a barbershop, which is located at the corner of Jamal ‘Abd a-Nasser Street and a-Jabel Street. On Wednesday morning [12 March], I was at the barbershop. A Chevrolet parked outside and honked the horn. I looked outside and saw my uncle Ahmad inside the car. He said hello and continued on his way toward the main market. I am used to him passing by the barbershop, saying hi from the car, and continuing on his way.
Around 6:10 P.M., I was giving a haircut to a customer and another was waiting. Suddenly, I heard the sound of gunfire outside. I went to the door to see what was happening. From behind the glass door, I saw six soldiers wearing helmets and masks. They were standing near an orange minibus and were firing at a red Daihatsu. The Daihatsu was about five meters from the minibus.
I saw a man I don't know lying on the ground about three meters from the car. I didn't know if he was dead or wounded. There were massive volleys of gunfire at the Daihatsu. Three men were sitting inside, with the driver's seat being empty. I thought that the person on the road was the driver. I saw a man in civilian clothes standing near the minibus. He was armed but did not join the other soldiers in firing at the car. The three men in the car didn't move. The gunfire came from behind the car, and I saw that its back window had been shattered.
The massive gunfire continued for about two minutes and then stopped for a minute. I saw the soldiers and the man in civilian clothes go over to the car. Then I heard a number of shots come from the direction of the car. I couldn't see who fired, because they had their backs to me. I couldn't see what was happening in the car itself.
Then I saw the soldiers move away from the car. They were carrying small weapons, not the kind that they used to fire at the car. They got into the minibus and quickly drove away. A Toyota, which I hadn't seen earlier, followed the minibus.
I went over to the car together with some other shopkeepers. I saw that the head of the man lying on the ground had been shattered, and there were pieces of his brain all over the place. It was a horrible sight. I looked inside the car and was shocked to see my uncle sitting in the front seat, his head drooped in front of him, and a number of bullet holes in his back. Muhammad Shehadeh sat in the back. He had been shot in the head, knocking his brain out. Next to him sat ‘Issa Marzuq, who had been shot on the right side of the head and shoulder.
Fadi Fuad Khalil al-Balbul, 27, is a Barber and a resident of Bethlehem. His testimony was given to Suha Zeid at the home of Ahmad al-Balbul, who was killed in the incident, on 18 March 2008.
