| The Daily Star |
SIDON, Lebanon: Khodor Alaeddine did not know that the missiles would come after his car as he tried to help 15 passengers escape the hell created by the July 2006 war.
As his home village of Srifa, in Tyre, came under sustained attack from Israeli war planes, Khodr, seeking safety for family members, tried to flee by car.
But the missiles came after him, killing his sister and inflicting injuries to himself, his wife and children.
The incident left scars on the bodies of Khodor’s three children in addition to the psychological trauma they continue to endure, especially his eldest son, who still remembers those dark moments.
Khodor tells his story of the “black days,” from the house which he had to rebuild. He says a massacre took place inside the village, where dozens were killed and many more were wounded.
“The aircraft mercilessly and brutally raided a residential neighborhood, destroying it entirely,” he says. “I quickly decided to leave my home and flee with my family. Around 15 of us got into a medium sized truck and as soon as we headed west, missiles from military planes fell on us.
“My mother was hit and my sister Alya was killed. We were all wounded and the truck was destroyed. We were about to flee on foot but my brother was able to reach us.”
All in the car were bleeding when they reached Kharoubi Hospital in the village of Sarafand, but Khodor was mainly concerned about his mother, wife and children who were all seriously wounded, with lacerations to their heads and faces, suffering from broken bones and fractures.
“My son Ali, 6, was wounded in his neck. As for Ramzi, 4, [he was wounded] in his head, and Nabil, 3, the shrapnel tore his soft body. I lost consciousness for a few moments as I imagined I would never see my children after that day,” Khodor said.
Khodor continues his story about the pain his family suffered, saying that his son Ali hates the sound of planes and runs and hides under his bed whenever he hears it.
“Who will hold Israel accountable? Who will try it? What sin did we commit for this to happen to us? Are the children terrorists? Are my children missiles?” Khodor asks.
Ali, whose body is covered with scars from the shrapnel, is still traumatized despite receiving treatment. He remains frightened by the sounds of planes and explosions, even though his school’s administration has given him a lot of care.
“I won’t forget. The [Israeli pilot] should be killed,” Ali says. He still carries photos that were taken of him and his family in the hospital.
“I used to cry a lot. The world should kill Israel and the south should be cleaned from mines and cluster bombs so we can play,” he says.
As for Ramzi and his younger brother Nabil, they don’t remember anything of the incident, given their young age, and instead they look at photos.
Khodor says that while the Israeli planes destroyed his house he had no choice but to stay there, for fear that more of his family would be killed. Five years later, Khodor refuses to forget the incident which has become a recurrent nightmare for him.
“Yes, we were compensated and we rebuilt our house, but who will compensate my mother and my wife and children?” Khodor asks.
Khodor’s wife, Zeinab Nazal, who broke her leg during the war, adds: “My children have suffered a lot. Our first days of the war have become a nightmare, and if the door of our house closes noisily, they start to cry.”
According to Zeinab, following the incident, Ali didn’t dare go to the bathroom by himself but she overcame the difficulties with the help of his school.
Khodor says that his late sister, Alya, who had parts of her body severed by shrapnel, has recently reclaimed a place in his life, following the birth of his daughter last year. He named her Alya.
As his home village of Srifa, in Tyre, came under sustained attack from Israeli war planes, Khodr, seeking safety for family members, tried to flee by car.
But the missiles came after him, killing his sister and inflicting injuries to himself, his wife and children.
The incident left scars on the bodies of Khodor’s three children in addition to the psychological trauma they continue to endure, especially his eldest son, who still remembers those dark moments.
Khodor tells his story of the “black days,” from the house which he had to rebuild. He says a massacre took place inside the village, where dozens were killed and many more were wounded.
“The aircraft mercilessly and brutally raided a residential neighborhood, destroying it entirely,” he says. “I quickly decided to leave my home and flee with my family. Around 15 of us got into a medium sized truck and as soon as we headed west, missiles from military planes fell on us.
“My mother was hit and my sister Alya was killed. We were all wounded and the truck was destroyed. We were about to flee on foot but my brother was able to reach us.”
All in the car were bleeding when they reached Kharoubi Hospital in the village of Sarafand, but Khodor was mainly concerned about his mother, wife and children who were all seriously wounded, with lacerations to their heads and faces, suffering from broken bones and fractures.
“My son Ali, 6, was wounded in his neck. As for Ramzi, 4, [he was wounded] in his head, and Nabil, 3, the shrapnel tore his soft body. I lost consciousness for a few moments as I imagined I would never see my children after that day,” Khodor said.
Khodor continues his story about the pain his family suffered, saying that his son Ali hates the sound of planes and runs and hides under his bed whenever he hears it.
“Who will hold Israel accountable? Who will try it? What sin did we commit for this to happen to us? Are the children terrorists? Are my children missiles?” Khodor asks.
Ali, whose body is covered with scars from the shrapnel, is still traumatized despite receiving treatment. He remains frightened by the sounds of planes and explosions, even though his school’s administration has given him a lot of care.
“I won’t forget. The [Israeli pilot] should be killed,” Ali says. He still carries photos that were taken of him and his family in the hospital.
“I used to cry a lot. The world should kill Israel and the south should be cleaned from mines and cluster bombs so we can play,” he says.
As for Ramzi and his younger brother Nabil, they don’t remember anything of the incident, given their young age, and instead they look at photos.
Khodor says that while the Israeli planes destroyed his house he had no choice but to stay there, for fear that more of his family would be killed. Five years later, Khodor refuses to forget the incident which has become a recurrent nightmare for him.
“Yes, we were compensated and we rebuilt our house, but who will compensate my mother and my wife and children?” Khodor asks.
Khodor’s wife, Zeinab Nazal, who broke her leg during the war, adds: “My children have suffered a lot. Our first days of the war have become a nightmare, and if the door of our house closes noisily, they start to cry.”
According to Zeinab, following the incident, Ali didn’t dare go to the bathroom by himself but she overcame the difficulties with the help of his school.
Khodor says that his late sister, Alya, who had parts of her body severed by shrapnel, has recently reclaimed a place in his life, following the birth of his daughter last year. He named her Alya.
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