“This tragedy is the direct result of the situation in this part of the city," said Habib Abu Ramileh, one of Ramila's relatives.
By PEGGY CIDORTHE MOURNING tent for young Muhammad Abu Khdeir.(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Less than 24 hours after the body of Qais Abu Ramila was found under three meters of water littered with waste and debris from nearby construction, the municipality erected a fence around the ditch. For the youngster, sent on Friday afternoon to the grocery near his home, it was too late. But considering that the site is close to shops, two schools and a kindergarten, this was at least the right thing to do to prevent another tragedy.Neighborhood chief fireman Abu Gharbieh recounted the search operation step by step. After police dogs identified the location, divers couldn’t help because the dirty water was so opaque that they couldn’t see anything. Draining the ditch took about 10 hours.Policemen, firefighters, and special rescue units that were trained to operate in complicated situations all worked together for hours in the cold rain, hoping to find the boy alive, Hundreds of neighbors watched the operation, but in the end there was only a dead body.Habib Abu Ramileh, a relative, blamed the municipality for the death.“When we talk about the neglect and lack of infrastructures in the east side, we don’t mean only playgrounds or sidewalks. This tragedy is the direct result of the situation in this part of the city.”He said that for many, the boy’s disappearance triggered terrible memories of the 2014 death of Muhammad Abu Khdeir. “They were all sure that it was another case of abduction and murder.” A source at Safra Square reported that during the initial hours after the disappearance, there was serious concern that violent riots might break out as a rumor that the boy was kidnapped by Jews began to spread.Abu Ramileh said that a neglected ditch like that would not be possible so close to houses and schools on the western side. “This is not the only ditch in the Arab neighborhoods. I hope that the authorities don‘t wait until another disaster occurs to take care of them.”In addition to the order to erect a two-meter-high fence around the ditch, Mayor Moshe Lion formed a committee to investigate and make recommendations.“The test now is to see whether the municipality makes the effort to identify all the dangerous sites like the ditch in Beit Hanina and do whatever is necessary to prevent another tragedy,” concluded Abu Ramileh.
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