Diary of the April 1996 Aggression: April 18

Successive massacres...Qana washes its children with blood...

At about 2 P.M. Thursday April 18th 1996, the Fijian Forces centre, operating within the United Nations Interim Forces in Southern Lebanon village of Qana, was filled with dozens of families taking shelter there from Zionist shelling. 

They came from all the surrounding villages of Al Butm Mountains, Qana, Rishkaniyeh, Siddikin and many other villages in the Tyre district.

The estimate of 500 civilians was taking shelter in 2 sheds, only tens of meters apart, at the UN center when the massacre took place.

At 2.05 P.M., a shell landed near one of the sheds... then a second, at which time everyone in the sheds tried to leave, when a third shell landed on the first shed... and the massacre began.

Then artillery shells rained down on the center, specifically in blocks where dozens of refugees were sheltering.

The source of the shelling was determined, enemy sites of "Hamid" and "Rshaff" recorded the highest number of shells fired. "Spy planes" flew overhead, correcting the shelling target to wipe out all who took refuge in the two sheds.

More than one hundred martyrs in five minutes and before the eyes, ears... while the UN, and the Fijian Forces radio operator "howling" for this mad bombing to stop...But all fell on deaf ears.

At the end of April the number of martyrs of the Qana massacre reached 106. The remains of 18 martyrs were not identified. Among the martyrs, two Christian females, who were buried with the rest of Qana martyrs at the request of Christian religious reference authorities ... by that making Qana the candle of national unity.