Father of child killed by accidental blast points finger at IDF
After two cousins of 8 and 10 from a Bedouin encampment in the Negev are killed by a blast on Tuesday, the father of one of the boys criticizes the IDF for not safely disposing of its ammunition; 'This isn't a battlefield, but soldiers come here to practice,' says the father. 'Someone needs to take responsibility.'
The father of one of two children from a Bedouin encampment in the northern Negev, who were allegedly killed by an explosion while playing with IDF armements, has come out against the Israeli military, accusing it of failing to appropriately dispose of unused ammunition.
"We have IDF soldiers congregating, building tents and sleeping near us," said Mahmed Abu Kuydar about his encampment of Al Zarnuk-Abu Kuydar Wednesday. "They leave behind bottles, garbage and perhaps even fallen explosives. My son's gone because of explosives or a bomb, he literally crashed."
A preliminary police investigation found that the two cousins, Mahmoud (10) and Omar (8) were probably playing with what appeared to be an ammunition dud, which ended up causing their death. The remnants of the explosive were taken to a laboratory for further analysis.
"We live in the diaspora, where there's nothing," continued Mahmed. "After school, the kids have nowhere to play, no clubs, no swimming pool, no games. They live in danger."
He added that "What happened yesterday wasn't the result of a blast caused by a generator or gas tank. It was an explosive that completely smashed my kid."
Hundreds of relatives arrived at the mourners' tent to pay their respects, where Mahmed spoke of Tuesday's incident. "I came back from work and was 15 meters from the spot where it happened. I heard the blast, jumped up and was there in a matter of seconds."
Mahmed's eldest son, who is 17 years old, reached the boys before he did. "It was then that I saw the two bodies. I didn't know what was going on and went into shock," Mahmed recalled. "Omar, my brother's son, wasn't breathing and was completely gone. Mahmoud, my son, was breathing a little. I tried to resuscitate him, but couldn't."
Somone needed to take responsibility for what happened, he went on to say. "It's incomprehensible that kids end their lives this way. After the incident, police sappers came by, the chief of the (local station—ed), a lot of forces that did their jobs, but no one gave any answers. This isn't a battlefield, but they come here to practice. Sometimes the soldiers cut through the village, walk around with weapons, bullets and grenades. We've seen them leave ammunition in the past, and the kids, they don't know any (better—ed)."
Hatem Abu Kuydar, the school principal at the encampment, said that the two children "probably found (what appeared to be—ed) an ammunition dud, took it and went toward the tent. They were playing with ammunition when the explosion that caused their death took place. There was a large blast, and when people arrived they found the kids in a condition so terrible it's hard to describe."
Like Mahmed, Hatem Abu Kuydar also attributed the fatal accident to the absence of social areas or activities for children. "The unrecognized villages in the Negev have been neglected for many years. We don't have a lot of public places, games or roads, and this is what causes kids to play with dangerous items. The results are always dire, and we're the ones who end up paying the price. The kids' parents are having a hard time believing they've lost their loved ones. I truly hope this is the last disaster we experience here."
The IDF Spokesperson's Units responded by saying that "The incident is currently being investigated by the police."
Hatem Abu Kuydar said that "Tomorrow we're going to have someone come and talk about the dangers of ammunition and things that could harm to children. In the meantime I've taken the children's parents aside; they're erecting a mourners' tent and seem to be in shock, incapable of understanding what had happened. I really hope we make it through this. The important thing here is to educate the children not to touch this kind of stuff so they will protect their lives."
