The criminal Israeli army last week committed a horrendous massacre that is considered as one of the most horrific historical massacres committed in Palestine and the Gaza Strip in particular.
The Israeli warplanes targeted the Arab National Hospital known as “Al-Ma’amdani” which led to the martyrdom of more than 500 Palestinians and the wounding of hundreds most of whom were women and children who took the hospital as a safe refuge from Israel’s brutal air strikes.
The Al-Ma’amdani Hospital massacre was not the first massacre in the record of Israeli bloodbaths which is full of massacres against the Palestinian people.
The massacre was carried out with clear American and Western cover and acquiescence after the United States Britain and France voted against a draft resolution submitted by Russia to the UN Security Council to stop the Israeli aggression.
In this file we will discuss the history of the most important brutal massacres carried out by Israel against the Palestinians:
“Balad al-Sheikh” massacre
The Zionist gang Haganah attacked the village of “Balad al-Sheikh” now known as “Tel Hanan” and shot unarmed Palestinian civilians on December 31 1947 resulting in the martyrdom of 60 Palestinians. Most of their bodies were found inside the houses of the village.
Deir Yassin massacre
This massacre was carried out by the Zionist “Irgun and Stern groups” in the village of Deir Yassin (west of Jerusalem) in April 1948 resulting in the martyrdom of between 250 and 360 Palestinians.
This massacre played a significant role in the Palestinian exodus due to the terror it caused among civilians.
Abu Shusha massacre
Zionist gangs launched an attack on the village of Abu Shusha (east of Ramla) on the dawn of May 14 1948 killing about 60 civilians.
Tantura massacre
It occurred about a month after the Deir Yassin massacre and one week after the announcement of the establishment of the “state of Israel” on the usurped land of Palestine.
Al-Tantura is a village that was located near Haifa. Between 40 and more than 200 civilians were killed in the massacre depending on different sources and estimates.
Qibya massacre
Israeli army forces led by Ariel Sharon attacked the village of Qibya in the West Bank in 1953 (which was under Jordanian sovereignty at that time). It occurred on the night between October 14 and October 15 1953 and 69 Palestinians were martyred.
Qalqilya massacre
It was carried out by the Israeli army forces and settlers on October 10 1956 with the participation of a military detachment an artillery battalion and 10 fighter planes. The town was bombarded and 70 Palestinian citizens were killed.
Kufr Qasim massacre
Executed by the Israeli Border Guards on October 29 1956 in the village of Kufr Qasim resulting in the martyrdom of 49 civilians including 23 children under the age of eighteen.
The Khan Yunis massacres and the Rafah massacre
It was carried out by the Israeli army on November 12 1956 against Palestinian refugees in Khan Yunis refugee camp south of the Gaza Strip killing more than 250 Palestinians. 9 days after the first massacre an Israeli army unit carried out another brutal massacre that claimed the lives of about 275 civilians in the same camp and more than 100 other Palestinian residents of the Rafah refugee camp were martyred on the same day.
Sabra and Shatila Massacre
Executed on September 16 1982 in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps for Palestinians in Lebanon. It lasted for three days and was carried out by Lebanese groups including the Lebanese Phalange Party -The Kataeb Party- and the South Lebanon Army with the backing and participation of the Israeli army. The number of martyrs ranged from 750 to 3500 mostly Palestinians.
Al-Aqsa massacre
It took place in Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem on October 8 1990. Extremist Jews attempted to lay the foundation stone for the alleged “Third Temple” in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound leading to clashes with the residents of Jerusalem. Israeli occupation soldiers immediately intervened and killed 21 citizens.
Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre
Carried out by the fanatic Jew Baruch Goldstein in the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil on the morning of Friday 15 Ramadan February 25 1994. Twenty-nine worshipers were martyred and 150 others were injured before other worshippers intervened and killed him.
Qana Massacre
The massacre occurred in the village of Qana south of Lebanon on April 18 1996. Israeli forces shelled Palestinian refugees fleeing the “Grapes of Wrath” operation launched by Israel on Lebanon resulting in the martyrdom of 106 civilians.
It should be noted that the Gaza Strip has been subjected to numerous Israeli aggressions over the past two decades including massacres that claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinian martyrs. The Al-Ma’amdani Hospital massacre was not the first nor the last unless the vicious Israeli war machine is stopped and restrained.
