Gaza, 2009, Beit Lahiya
The War of 2008-2009 in Gaza was dubbed “Operation Cast Lead” by the Israeli government. The numbers of casualties are, as always, in war in dispute. According to B’Tselem, around 1391 Palestinians were killed, including an estimated 759 civilians, this included 110 women and 344 children. An Amnesty international report stated that “lives were lost because Israeli forces frequently obstructed access to medical care." It also condemned the use of weapons such as white phosphorous and artillery shells. Amnesty also said Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups had endangered Palestinian civilians by firing rockets from residential neighbourhoods and storing weapons in them. Israel lost 10 members of the security forces in the three-week offensive, including four by "friendly fire". Three Israeli civilians were also killed.
In addition to the human cost, hundreds of houses were destroyed by Israeli forces. The house of Bothina Khader was one of those. Israeli tank crews drove up to her neighbourhood, planted explosives and blew up her home. She was devastated, now living i a tent next to the ruins of her home.
“The only thing we have left is the mortgage.”