Summer camp in Gaza: Kids learn to kidnap, kill Israelis

GAZA CITY — The ruling Fatah movement of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat has operated a summer camp that trains youngsters as young as 10 to abduct and kill Israelis.

The training has been taking place in a summer camp for thousands of Palestinian youngsters in the Gaza Strip. The training included the use of semi-automatic rifles, hurling grenades as well as attacking and abducting Israeli motorists.

Palestinian sources said the training of youngsters has taken place annually in the Gaza Strip. Several Palestinian correspondents have been invited to witness and film the exercises.

The exercises included the firing of AK-47 Kalashnikov rifles by youngsters. The youngsters were also pressed to conduct infantry-type exercises, such as completing an obstacle course complete with barbed wire and hoops of fire.

In one case, Palestinian youngsters were forced into the hoops of fire by instructors who fired over their heads. In another exercise, the youngsters were trained to ambush and kill an Israeli motorist, played by a Palestinian who wore a Jewish skullcap.

Youngsters were also indoctrinated in the need to fight and kill Israelis. The camp was operated by the Fatah-sponsored Popular Resistance Committee and those completing the training would receive a certificate from the camp commander.

[In Ramallah, Palestinian Legislative Council members said PA Chairman Yasser Arafat has agreed to provide limited security authority to Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei. The PLC members said Arafat has proposed that Qurei be granted responsibility over the the PA police and at least one security agency.]

Dear Mommy, I wanted to write a letter to you from camp, but my counselor Osama said he would make a video of me instead! So here I am! Today we went swimming. It was a lot of fun! Except we had to jump over the side of a rubber raft with a heavy duffel bag and swim all the way to the beach. My friend Muhammed was the fastest swimmer and he got to make a video for his Mom, too! Mom, they have the coolest playground here! They even have a 747 jumbo jet model for us to play inside. We get to practice running up and down the aisles, going to the bathroom in groups of 7, playing hide-and seek to find all the parts of our little bomb puzzles hidden in the seatbacks, and giving secret signs to each other to pass messages, like "tackle the blonde flight attendant and I'll go talk to the passengers in business class" My counselor Usama said that after sunset prayers tonight we are going to get to watch videos of Israeli kids in pizza parlors. That should be very cool. Usama said I'm going to get to go to a pizza parlor someday and get all the pizza I want, enough for me and 72 "virgins, too. Mom, I don't know what a "virgin" is but it must be good because Usama and Osama go to town every night looking for one. But they usually just come back with hives because they are allergic to sheep. Well Mommy, I have to go now 'cause some of my friends are toasting hummus over a burning flag. I hope you like this video! And Osama said If I'm not on the bus when the other kids get back from camp- look for a check in the mail. Allah Akbar! Hussein

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