May 1, 2002

It all started on Thursday, when Wissam, 28 years old, proposed to Heifa, 27 years old, both Palestinians, lived in the Jenin refugee camp all of their lives. The wedding that never materialized was supposed to be the best in Jenin. A "Jenin's Wedding" as Wissam always uttered when referring to his special day.

The love story started at the University of Beir Zeit, in the West Bank, where both graduated with honors. In the early evening of the wedding, Wissam and his brother Bilal, bought freshly made sweets for the occasion. Heifa was busy outfitting her wedding, white dress. A last rehearsal before she joins her love in a happy matrimony.

That evening both families gathered, plans were put on the table; and the final details are worked out. Wissam was unpleased with what is going on in the surrounding communities. The Intifada is raging, the Israeli occupation is continuing, the movements of his guests will be limited. He is worried about his special day, second per second.

His dad Tawfiek, observing the worries in his son's eyes, attempts to jokes him out of it. Wissam is worried, but he is happy, because finally, he is going to be with his sweetheart under one roof; a make-shift two-rooms, and a bath, adjoining his parents' house.

All of the sudden, they all hear explosions, and the sounds of heavy armored Israeli Tanks and American made Caterpillars. They hurry down to the basement, while they are out, an Israeli soldiers orders some of them to waiting trucks, ready to ship them to concentration camps in the Najeve desert. Wissam and Heifa, managed to elude the soldiers, however, where they are about, nobody knew.

The bombardment of the camp started in all directions, an estimated 20,000 Israeli soldiers merged on the camp from all directions. A heavy Palestinians resistance to the invading forces had taken place. The Israelis from behind their armed tanks, and vehicles fought the lightly armed Palestinians militias.

The latest count, estimated over 300 buildings and houses were demolished and reduced to rubles. Over 6,000 Palestinians left homeless, and around 750 civilians and militias were murdered, eighty-nine of them in cold blood at close range.

The U.N. Special Envoy to the camp Larry Larsen, described the situation on the ground as very grave, and as of the camp was hit by an earthquake. Human rights organization, and the U.N. crime-finding mission, were denied access by Israel to the camp. The stench of the bodies are all over the area, there are fears of the spread of diseases.

The Jenin's massacre has bypassed in its magnitude the crime of Sabra and Shatila, another massacre, (where 850 Palestinians were murdered), the current Israeli-prime-minister, Ariel Sharon is accused of instigating.

While civilians looking through the rubbles, a shiny spark struck the eye of one of the rescue workers, he moved few stones, a female hand, with a wedding ring appears from the rubble. The rescue workers gather and start pulling the rubbles from around the hand; to their surprise, the hand is holding tightly another person's hand. They shortly stop, a new strategy is put in place to remove both bodies without causing the basement they found at, to cave in.

Upon the hearing of the news, Tawefik, the father of Wissam rushes to the scene. Tawfiek was just released from his detention with the Israelis, he spent eight horrifying days in Israeli concentration camp.

Tawefik approaches the bodies cautiously, he felt it. The bodies belong to Wissam and Heifa, he recognized the ring; their hands are tightly holding each other. It seems they got married while they were in the basement, taking refuge from the Israeli bombardment.

Tawefik, stood where the bodies are found, and declared their wedding: "Jenin's Wedding, a Palestinian Tragedy and an Israeli crime."

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