Irish ‘human shield’ protecting kids is shot in leg

AN Irish peace activist is recovering in hospital after being shot by Israeli soldiers while acting as a human shield in a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin.

Caoimhe Butterly, 24, a member of the Irish-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said she was wounded in the thigh while trying to shield Palestinian children from Israeli gunfire.

In a separate gunbattle in the same camp, a British UN worker, Ian John Hook, 53, was shot dead. Mr Hook was working in his office in a small UN compound within the camp when he was killed.

He was involved in a project to rebuild homes destroyed during previous Israeli operations.

Dublin-born Ms Butterly said she was shot after responding to a call from a mother for medical assistance for her sick child.

“What happened was that there was a military invasion of the camp at around 5am, the official line given by Israeli forces was that they were trying to arrest another activist wanted by the police.

“In the process, they closed off part of the camp and imposed a curfew, which basically means that anyone who broke the curfew was shot at.”

Ms Butterly was turned back by Israeli forces when she tried to reach the stricken mother and child. On attempting to reach them by an alternate route, her concerns were raised when she saw a number of children surrounded by Israeli soldiers and a number of tanks.

“I knew a nine-year-old that was recently killed by the Israeli army in Jenin, so I went to try and engage the soldiers in dialogue. At that point another tank drove up, I saw the driver open the hatch and I stood between it and the children to shield them. The driver fired at me. I was hit in the thigh.”

Ms Butterly said the children then carried her down an alleyway, located a stretcher and carried her to an ambulance that brought her to hospital.

“The doctor told me that a chunk of muscle was blown out of my leg and that there were was some nerve damage. It is painful, but I don’t expect the damage to be permanent. I expect to be out in a couple of days.”

Ms Butterly is in Israel since January and in Jenin since April, during which time she said she has been handcuffed, blindfolded and severely beaten. She has no plans to come home.

“I will remain in Palestine until the occupation ends. It is one of the most blatant violations of human rights. I intend to stay here because I believe in the importance of an international presence.”