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Photo story: Israeli bulldozer
driver murders American peace activist
Nigel Parry and Arjan El Fassed,
The Electronic Intifada, 16 March 2003
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| 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:
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| 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.
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| Rachel Corrie
confronts the bulldozer driver. (ISM
Handout) |
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| 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) |
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| Other peace
activists tend to Rachel after being injured by the Israeli bulldozer
driver, Rafah, Occupied Gaza, 16 March 2003. (ISM
Handout) |
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| Rachel Corrie lies on the
ground fatally injured by the Israeli bulldozer, Rafah, Occupied Gaza, 16
March 2003. (ISM Handout) |
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| 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.
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| 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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