Serai interviews Darren Ell, photo-journalist, about one home and family in Rafah that he lived with when there was still a home to live in. That was before Wednesday, May 12th , when the Israeli Defense Force showed up with a bulldozer to demolish their house, in grave violation of the family's rights under the Fourth Geneva Convention, article 147, that prohibits the wanton and unlawful destruction of civilian property when there is no military necessity.

What is the name of the family Darren?
Shaqfa (father's name: Mousa)

What was their address?
I never had a street address. There are no street signs in refugee camps, although the street names exist. They lived in Block O, a neighborhood in the Rafah refugee camp that has been almost completely razed to the ground. It is not far from where Rachel Corrie was killed four months after my work there.

Could you describe your first impression of the house and the surrounding area?
A beautiful 3 story home that Mousa built with his life savings from working on a Kibbutz for 25 years. It stood out along with about ten other homes as some of loveliest homes in the area. Unfortunately it stood next to the bulldozers and next to the wall the Israelis were building. The area was in a daily state of gun battles and home demolitions. Very dangerous. The area was also very poor. It is one of the most crowded areas in the world, and since the beginning of the second intifada, one of the poorest in the world. At times, it resembled an open air hospital: people with healing wounds from bulletholes, lots of shot up kids, kids without limbs and so forth. Pretty ugly. All houses in the area were riddles with bullet holes from the Israeli attacks and from the gun battles between Israelis and the Palestinian fighters trying to push them back.

How did you come to find yourself at their door?
As soon as I arrived in Rafah, I began photographing the homes being destroyed and the people in the area. I was invited to photograph the Shaqfa home. They then invited me for tea, and shortly after they invited me to stay with them. It was a lovely experience.

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How did they live together in the house…mealtimes etc? Their work, school, interests, plans?
It was Ramadan. We ate together at night and at 4am each day. Huge meals. Very generous people. A family of eight children. The parents forbid their children from getting involved in the struggle.

Their work, school, interests, plans?
The daughters attended high school and university. The young boys were in school, and Rami, the oldest boy, was out of work due to the closure of the Gaza Strip by the Israelis. The girls were planning for careers in business. The father lost his job shortly after I was there because of the border closures. A terrible blow to him and very hard on family relations. They were ordinary people who just wanted to have a good life.

Is there one occasion that stands out for you?
One occasion that says something about their sense of humour in the face of adversity: One evening we'd just finished dinner, having eaten through the gun battle carrying on outside, when a bullet ricochets off one of the walls in our room. Unfazed, the mother, Sanura, notices we're a cup short for the tea so one of the boys dashes to the kitchen, laughing, through space that moments before had been visited by a bullet.

Where are the family now?
They're living in UN tents in a schoolyard, along with about 2,500 other people, or so I've read in the news. They lost nearly everything and like all Palestinian families are not eligible for any compensation.

The last time you communicated? The last thing you heard? Where are they now?
Since they they lost their home they've had an even worse scare. The nine year old Mahmoud, missing the house, returned to the site of demolition only to be struck on the head by falling debris. Thankfully, it did not penetrate Mahmoud's skull, however he does have a serious concussion. According to the daughter, he seems to be recovering, but is tired all the time.

We communicate frequently now as I'm organizing fundraising for them, to help them one day get a new home. I'm just hoping people round Canada rally to my call for funds to help the family. There's another photojournalist who lived with them briefly who is also collecting money in Australia.

All the best with that Darren.

Darren Ell can be reached at: darren.e@sympatico.ca

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article2779.shtml (an update on Rafah)