Palestinian stones versus Israeli tanks

GAZA CITY, March 8 (IslamOnline.net) – A seven-year old Palestinian child facing a seventy-ton Israeli tank, with a stone as big as his little palm can control. An extremely unbalanced face off with absolutely no necessary "sniper intervention". However, an Israeli sniper – based on a roof top – sent his killer bullet through the neck of little Mahmoud.

Mahmoud Abdullah Younis, from Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, was among the first of a tally of 15 Palestinians killed by Israel's bloodiest raid in the Strip in 17 months.

He lost his life at the early hours of Sunday, March 7, at a time when his parents thought he was in class. He was the youngest of those who fell in that day, in addition to the more than 90 others who were injured.

He was on his way to school through the narrow streets of Block C, east of Nuseirat refugee camp, at a time Israeli tanks were already pushing their way through the neighborhood.

Mahmoud changed his destination to practice what grew rapidly to be his favorite habit; to hurl stones at occupation tanks and military jeeps.

However, the little child did not know that Israeli snipers were already positioned on roof tops in the area. One of them did not hesitate or stop to think before sending his killer bullet to go through Mahmoud's neck and continue its way from the other side.

"I thought he was at school at that time. I did not know he went with his mates to stand up to Israeli tanks with stones," his father told IslamOnline.net Monday, March 8.

"Two hours after he left for school, I got a word that he was critically injured and moved to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Dier el-Balah. I hurried there only to be told that they sent him to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

"Before leaving Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, a doctor told me that Mahmoud had died on the way to the hospital in Gaza and that he was sent back to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital".

'Is This Fair?'

Talking to Mahmoud's mother was by no means a routine reporting interview. The lady hardly controlled her running tears.

"Isn't that unfair? Where are these organizations that keep screaming about human rights? Has my child been facing the enemy with rockets or bombs to be killed in cold blood by the Zionists?" The bereaved mother charged through her tears.

"I ask God to make that soldier's hand that pulled the trigger to kill my dearest child to chill and never move again," Mahmoud's mother said in a bitterness beyond description.

Mahmoud was the ninth among ten children in his family (9 sons and one daughter).