Al Watan Newspaper Remembers Egyptian POWs in #1967 War Defeat Anniversary

Al Watan Newspaper published last 5th of June 2013 a special report in Arabic about the Egyptian POWs in 1956 and in 1967.

Despite it is not the biggest special coverage considering the fact that we are currently in

? Egyptian POWs in tracks “Corbis”

political development marathon in Egypt yet it reminds the Egyptian and Arab readers with what happened to our POWs in both wars.

The special coverage included the testimony of 1967 veteran and former POW Ibrahim El Siyad. Ibrahim was a solider in Al Arish in the Supply and transportation branch during the six days war. After his capture near Al Arish city in his attempt to flee the city , he was transferred to Al Arish military airport where he witnessed the killing of Egyptian POWs in the airport.

“They {IDF soldiers} used to dig a pit in the sand then they ordered the Egyptian POW to sit at the pit and they shot him” MR. El Siyad stated what many had witnessed in Al Arish airport and how it turned to graveyard then.

El Siyad was transferred later to Atlit prison camp to spend there 5 months. 

During his transportation he survived death , when young IDF soldiers “originally Yemeni teenagers” opened their fire in the way on the POWs. Only 3 POWs from 50-60 POWs survived including El Siyad. El Siyad was injured in his hand.

Interestingly I remember reading a similar testimony on how the POWs transferred in  trucks were shot in their head. It seems that there was some order to reduce the number of POWs using all possible ways after all !!

According to the old POW there were 5000 Egyptian POWs in Atlit prison. He mentioned about the inhuman conditions the POWs suffered from during their detention. “We were 100 in each ward, they used to lock us up in the ward from 4 PM to 8 AM without water , we used to pee in a bucket” The old POW remembered his days in the POWs prison camp adding that he did not receive a medical care for his hand injury except one month.

Mr. El Siyad is suing the IDF in front of the State Council in Egypt.

The testimony was recorded in video by the way. I wish it is translated in English.

The newspaper also interviewed MR. Mohamed Ahmed El Ibrahimi , the son of an Egyptian POW who was officially recorded missing  in 1967. MR. Ibrahimi was only one week old when his father , a volunteer sergeant was in the front in Sinai never coming back in June 1967

The Ibrahimis had to wait another 4 years in order to know that the Egyptian state considers their son a martyr.  In 2001 after nearly three decades the Egyptian armed forces paid compensation to the family of late Sergeant El Ibrahimi. Al Watan published a copy from the official document issued by the armed forces and that what was mentioned in.

? ? ? ? Armed Forces’ document about the status of Seg. El Ibrahimi “Courtesy : Al Watan”

The document stated the following :

The service of Sergeant Ahmed Mohamed El Ibrahimi was ended officially in the armed forces when he was reported missing during the military operations since 10/6/1967 and he was considered a martyr on 10/6/1971.

From his side , Ahmed Mohamed El Ibrahimi JR decided to sue Binyamin Ben -Eliezer for his responsibility in the Shaked Affair.

The newspaper interviewed Dr. Ahmed Shawky El Fangry who used to work in the UN in Gaza sector then and witnessed the IDF crimes in Gaza in 1956. The 88 years old man already documented what had seen in those days in a book called “Israel as I had known it”.The testimony of Dr. El Fangry to add it to the 1956 section in the Website so soon insh Allah.

 

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