Gaza: Bodies Retrieved 12 days after they were killed
International human rights activists have witnessed the recovery of dead members of the Samouni families and are
available for interviews.
Several bodies of the Samouni family have finally been retrieved, 12 days after an attack by the Israeli military forces
that led to the death of an unknown number of family members.
Red Crescent ambulance crews finally gained access to the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on 18 January 2009. The
family was killed in their home by an Israeli air-strike on January 6th, but their bodies could not be retrieved until
recently due to ongoing Israeli operations in the area.
Seven family members including men, women and children, were retrieved from the rubble. However, the ambulance crews had
to leave after an hour because of fears that the army would return to the area. At least 13 family members are still
unaccounted for.
"Our ambulance crew set off at 10:20 am to go into the Zeitoun neighborhood. We haven't been able to enter the area most
days because its been sealed by the army. When we arrived at the Samouni family house, the house was flattened, so the
roof was very close to the ground. We made a hole in the roof and began pulling up bodies for an hour. We were able to
retrieve 7 bodies before the Red Cross asked us to leave, as the army was likely to return to Zeitoun. There are at
least 13 bodies still in the house, as one of the medics had a list of 20 missing family members." Sharon Lock -
International Solidarity Movement
"One of the Samouni family children Ahmed Nasser, 10 or 11 years old, came to us at Al Quds hospital in a very bad
condition on January 6th. He had been shot in the chest and needed test tubs. He told us that all of his family except
had been taken into a room by the soldiers when they came to their house. When missiles hit the house, most of the
family was killed. Ahmed's father is alive, but his mother, sisters and brother are all dead. Ahmed stayed with the
bodies of his family members for four days before he was found and brought here. The first thing he asked for was for
bread and water. Many family members are still missing but today we will know for sure when all of the bodies come in."
- Reema Abu Lafi - nurse at Al Quds hospital
ends