Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Besieged families flee homes for shelter under UN flag


Trapped residents seek the nearest thing to safety they can find as the territory's schools are turned into refugee camps

Chris McGreal in Jerusalem
The Guardian, Tuesday 6 January 2009

"Mahmoud Khalil looked around the classroom and decided the safest place for his children was under the desks.

UN officials had reassured the father of five he and his family would be protected by the large blue and white flag flying above the UN-run school turned refugee shelter. But with the sound of large explosions on the edge of Jabaliya refugee camp, just north of Gaza City, and his children still terrified from the trauma of their escape, Khalil was taking no chances.

"They will kill us anywhere. If they can bomb the mosque, if they can kill small children, if they can blow up our parliament, why should they care if they bomb this school? They don't care what the United Nations thinks. They don't care what the whole world thinks," he said, when reached by telephone......."

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