Coverage by BBSNews

BBSNews - 2003-03-17 -- Mohammed, who maintains a pictorial Web site known as Rafah Today, described the scene to BBSNews, "when the bulldozers attack her body.. any way , the bulldozers attack her body and buried it in the sand, it was difficult to find her body.. but internationals find it, and found her dead.. as before that things, the IDF buried other one who is from Britain working with ISM, but the Palestine people was able to get his body, and now in my appreciate he is in safe .. from other hand, IDF killed Palestine man who was sweeping streets , as there is many people injured, some of them in dangers.."

"Internationals" is the local term for students and other human rights protesters in the area who are working through non-violent means to stop the bulldozing of settlements in the Gaza Strip and elsewhere in the region. Photos were provided to BBSNews by Rafah Today. Mohammed's Web site has many chilling photos from the area that show surreal scenes of devastation and suffering.

Ghassan Andoni, of The Palestinian Centre for Rapprochement between People told BBSNews, "In Rafah, Gaza Strip today Rachel Corrie, a 23-year old American woman from Olympia, Washington who was a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, was killed by the Israeli Army. Rachel was standing in the path of the bulldozer as it advanced towards her. When the bulldozer refused to stop or turn aside she climbed up onto the mound of dirt and rubble being gathered in front of it wearing a fluorescent jacket to look directly at the driver who kept on advancing. The bulldozer continued to advance so that she was pulled under the pile of dirt and rubble."

"After she had disappeared from view the driver kept advancing until the bulldozer was completely on top of her. The driver did not lift the bulldozer blade and so she was crushed beneath it. Then the driver backed up - effectively running over her again. The seven other ISM activists taking part in the action rushed to dig out her body. An ambulance rushed her to Al-Najar Hospital where she died."

Vice President of Student Affairs Art Costantino, from Evergreen State College where Rachel Corrie attended posted a sad notice on their Website, noting that Corrie lived from 1979-2003:

"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I inform you that Rachel Corrie was killed on Sunday, March 16, while trying to stop a bulldozer from tearing down a building in a refugee camp in Gaza. Rachel, a senior at Evergreen, was most recently a student in 'Labor and the Environment,' 'Common Ground,' 'Local Knowledge' and a contract entitled 'Public Art and the Middle East Conflict.' She was not enrolled this quarter.

Rachel was known to many in the Olympia community. She grew up here and graduated from Capital High School. She was actively involved in many area activities. Rachel is described by faculty and staff as a shining star, a wonderful student and a brave person of deep convictions."

BBSNews tried to contact the IDF for comment but a reply was not available at press time.

Related Links:

International Movement for Solidarity

More Photos from Rafah Today about this tragedy.

Michael Hess is the Editor of BBSNews in Charlotte, NC. Write to the editor here. Not all submissions are published. Or visit the completely new BBSNews Blog and Forum on our front page - Please Participate in BBSNews!