Maltese shot in Gaza

A 28-year-old Maltese human rights activist was shot in the leg yesterday with another two Palestinian protesters while taking part in a non-violent demonstration at the Israeli border.

Bianca Zammit, who was filming the protest for the International Solidarity Movement, was hit in the left upper thigh but the bullet went right through.

"I'm very, very lucky it didn't hit the bone because I wouldn't be walking. I know that in a week's time I should be able to walk again," she told The Sunday Times yesterday evening.

Fellow protestor, 18-year-old Nidal Al Naji, sustained similar wounds to his left thigh, but a third activist, Hind Al Akra had to undergo emergency surgery after being shot in the stomach.

Demonstrators carried the wounded back across rough terrain to taxis for transport to Al-Aqsa Hospital.

The protesters were pushing into a 300-metre-deep no-go zone declared by Israel on the Gaza side of the frontier last January.

The demonstration had gathered around 70 people, including six foreigners from the pro-Palestinian group International Solidarity Movement, of which Ms Zammit forms part, to protest against the ban which prevents many Gaza farmers from using the land.

The protest started at about 11.15 a.m. Ms Zammit was filming when soldiers posted on a tower, where an automated machine gun is mounted, suddenly opened fire.

At first she did not realise she had been hit: "I felt something go through my leg but didn't realise. I didn't know what it was until I looked down."

The Israeli Defence Forces confirmed the shooting and said soldiers opened fire to push protesters back from the borders.

A spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Minister said Tonio Borg had asked for a report on the matter and made it clear that if the shooting was unjustified he would protest.

Government sources said the matter could be raised at a Council of Foreign Ministers meeting scheduled in Brussels tomorrow.

Speaking from hospital, where she is being kept under observation for 24 hours, Ms Zammit insisted the shots were unwarranted.

"We were not doing anything illegal. I don't expect to be shot for holding a Palestinian flag or holding a camera, especially since we were chanting peaceful songs... I didn't see it coming; none of us did," she said.

"Every time I'm in the field I'm scared. I love life and I definitely hope to see all my friends and family in Malta again.

"They (Israeli soldiers) have done this before, and they injured protesters in similar demonstrations. This time they were shooting to injure us. There were times when they fired in the air, but this time they shot into the crowd. It was very aggressive and very violent," she said.

She explained the demonstrations had been going on since January, when Israeli soldiers first distributed leaflets warning farmers not to work on land which was 300 metres away from the border.

"This is a humanitarian crisis for farmers and they have no choice but to till the land. This is their bread and butter; the only opportunity they have of making some money to subsist."

The movement she works with supports the farmers by attending and filming the protests and later putting them up on You Tube to highlight their plight.

"Today we did the same thing and together with six other movement members joined the demonstration. As usual, we went with Palestinian flags and walked to the border."

The news of her shooting hit the international headlines instantly but Ms Zammit was upset that worldwide attention was only given to the incident because it involved a foreigner.

"It's too common for Palestinians to get killed or injured... It's just appalling."

The incident comes as Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas yesterday urged US President to impose a Mideast peace deal, signalling growing frustration on the Palestinian side after nearly two decades of failed negotiations with Israel.

But this is a cause Ms Zammit says she will keep fighting for. "As soon as I'm better, I'm going to go back to the demonstrations because the fact is that Palestinians have a right to go to their land and the world has been ignoring this for too long. Why should a farmer be shot at for working on his land?"

Despite missing home, this incident has strengthened her resolve to stay on.

"I've been seeing human rights violated before my eyes too often. I'm seeing monstrous things happening and nobody doing anything about it. I will not stop."