Gaza: Life goes on despite Roadblocks and Landmines

Gaza: Life goes on despite Roadblocks and Landmines

Behind those trees there is a fence a few meters away

with Israeli tanks and watchtowers behind it. Its dangerous

to get closer and take pics. They might open fire.

Gaza, January, I recently realized that my journey in life is in parallel with Gaza's struggle, we meet at a turning point, and if I had to name it would be: "Roadblocks and Landmines". This has both a literal and a figurative meaning with many layers and dimensions.

We navigate through the maps of our lives left to detect our own roadblocks and landmines if we are smart enough, and\or circle them with a red marker if they were inevitable. Either way, it's our responsibility to manage our path and lick our wounds if we couldn’t help hitting a 

roadblock or stepping on explosives.

Gaza, too, left to face the unknown on its own, left to suffer silently and expected to stay strong. 

Gaza, too, is filled with roadblocks and landmines both literally and metaphorically speaking. Gaza, too, is left to navigate through the darkness guided by voices that claim to have intentions of creating light, but in reality they are nothing but loud useless vibrations.

I often commended Israel for its intelligence, and was intrigued by their tactical and long termed strategic planning of how to kill the spirit of a nation they occupied. I saw the plan in action here in Gaza. We all think we are experiencing slow death due to siege, occupation, unemployment, the lack of freedom of movement, water shortage, electricity crisis and the list goes on and on and on…..

Until I started noticing something in myself and in the people around me. something unexpected. Unplanned. very surprising. A sudden sense of unbreakable determination. Being invincible, like we have the strength to defy the world and the power to stand against all odds. I smirked. I just realized that what "clever Israel" planned is actually majorly backfiring. And in reality, everything we are going through is just empowering us to exist more and more.

Ofcourse, I am not finding or giving Israel excuses for the deplorable psychological and devastatingly physical warfare that it uses against Palestinians across Palestine. All the inhumanity, massacres, wars, imprisonment, terrorism, instilling fear, violence, internationally banned weaponry and endless land theft are against every International law. All I am saying is that those tactics are actually working against their set goal.

Let me give you a few examples: Instead of us being scared, we are becoming fearless. Instead of weakness, we are becoming invincible. Instead of the unbearable pressure due to lack of resources, we are mastering the art of adapting. Instead of becoming tired and giving up, we are becoming hungrier for freedom and justice.

I admired Mahmoud Darwish since an early age, I was fascinated by his command. He managed to make a whole room of people go silent and absorb every letter he uttered, I often wondered what was his secret. I then discovered that he managed to grasp Palestine and the Palestinian spirit more than anyone especially when he says things like "We suffer from an incurable Malady: HOPE.", that’s the power of Palestinians and Darwish himself.

Take a trip along the borderline in Gaza, from south to north, you'll find people living inches away from the fence that separates them from Israeli tanks and watchtowers. They wake up every day to a very scenic view from their windows, they see fully armed Israeli soldiers on top of their tanks and watchtowers, they can even hear them interact. They feel and hear every movement done by each soldier and tank. And if that wasn’t enough, Israeli warplanes are constantly buzzing over their heads.

I talked to these people, who shocked me with their smiles. They were acting like waking up to Israeli tanks outside your window is so normal, it baffled me.

"We got used to it, they don’t phase us. Yes, we get scared at night hearing tanks move and Israeli soldiers shouting. The warplanes also sound louder at night, but we would never leave our land under any circumstances", they all said unanimously adding to my confusion.

Those people varied. Some lived in partially damaged houses, some were luckier and lived in rebuilt houses while others lived in caravans or little plastic huts on their land that once housed their dreams and future. They barely have electricity and water (its not much different everywhere across the strip), they face unbearable coldness and fear at night, yet they don’t see leaving as an option even though they were all affected by every Israeli assault or war on Gaza.

I have to admit, only standing there for a few minutes, looking at Israeli tanks being so nearby, left me at unease. I could see Israeli snipers on the watchtowers, I could see and hear the buzzing Israeli drones on low altitude. I felt uncomfortable and violated. How can those people just live through this agony every day?

Yes, we live in a prison under collective punishment for nothing we did. We suffer from allot of circumstances, injustices, economical bust, a crumbling infrastructure, lack of basic human needs and human rights, suffocation, unemployment and a million other thing. But we love life and we burst with hope and the will to keep going.

Perhaps there is a single sentence that you'd hear in every Gaza home or street: "Life goes on", its not just a saying or a mantra, it’s a way of life.

From Gaza with strength and light,

Omar

https://twitter.com/omar_gaza

https://ps.linkedin.com/in/omarghraieb

Paris March of Hypocrisy

Paris March of Hypocrisy

Gaza, January, Once again, the world fails me but doesn’t fail to impress me with how biased it can be. Two words: Paris March. It made me feel like this: I am an Arab, I am less. I am Muslim, I am less. I am Palestinian, I am less. I am human, I am less. My blood means nothing.

World leaders (including Arabs, and the Palestinian president) marched in Paris to support the “Freedom of Speech” and stand against terrorism. Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, was front raw ofcourse because he is against violence which is why he waged a war on Gaza not long ago killing hundreds, including tens of children. Netanyahu loves “freedom of speech” so much that he killed 17 Palestinian journalists during the latest war on Gaza.

As if the death of Muslim officer, Ahmed Merabet, who was doing his job defending Charlie Hebdo HQ.s wasn’t enough, and the French Muslim Hero (whom, in reality, doesn’t have the French Citizenship) that saved Jewish lives during the attack on a Kosher supermarket, still isn’t enough. I will have to once again say I am against Paris attacks, as a Muslim and a human being. Although words are louder than actions, yet nothing defends Muslims enough no matter what they do or say.

Charlie Hebdo will start printing one million copies instead of the usual 60 thousands. Talk about publicizing and monetizing tragedy. Just wondering why no mention in the media about Nigeria's Boko Haram Killings? Arent those also Islamic Extremists?

Only few months ago, many innocent lives were harvested in Gaza by the evil terrorism of occupation including tens of children and a number of journalists. Why didn’t any world leader come to Gaza and march? Why didn’t Arab leaders visit Gaza and speak up against Israel? Why did my own president visit Paris yet didn’t visit Gaza after it was burned by Israel?

The answer is simple and easy. Our lives don’t matter. Our blood is cheap. As humans, we are less. I cant help but respect Europe for honoring their blood and forcing the whole world to do so. But as an Arab, I feel ashamed and let down. We once were a nation that was the most advanced, respected and imitated. But now, our blood is worthless, even in our own eyes.

Paris urged Netanyahu not to come to the march, he wasn’t invited. Haaretz wrote about it. Hollande, the French President, wanted to focus on the matter in hand and didn’t want any other spotlight to deviate the attention to other mundane issues, say for example the Israel-Palestine conflict. Yet, Netanyahu, and as usual, did whatever he liked without giving a damn about what others think. So he attended uninvited. Just like he keeps killing Palestinians. The world won’t stop him after all.

Only then did France invite the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who was also asked not to come at first. And ofcourse, Abbas rushed over there. So we are not considered equals. If Netanyahu didn’t come uninvited, Abbas wouldn’t have been invited. Why did Abbas decide to go march and walk side beside with leaders who failed Palestine so many times? Why didn’t he visit Gaza after the Israeli war? Its beyond me. Oh, and Netanyahu was only a few feet away.

Which brings me to a very sad melodramatic conclusion: The world is so obviously blunt about my worth as an Arab Muslim Palestinian. I AM NOTHING. Many countries think I don’t exist, and those who recognize my existence do it in a symbolic way. I am already considered as a terrorist even when I am not. As a holder of Palestinian passport, I need a visa everywhere, and nowhere would grant me a visa unless I pay loads of money or ask for a divine intervention. And when\if I make it, I will be interrogated, searched and perhaps strip searched at most airports. I will have a target on my back everywhere I go. I am under the microscope. I am forced to respect and support all freedoms even though the world denies me my basic human rights. I will be labeled, narrowed down, ridiculed and automatically seen as a suspect of any incident around the world. Freedom of speech is exclusive for the West.

Ironic how I feel like my life’s mission is to fight for human rights when I, myself, don’t exercise any basic human rights. It’s actually funny and a little melancholic. Don’t you think?

But the question remains: Till when will I keep fighting for ultimate equality when most don’t even care about my blood, worth or rights? I honestly don’t know.

I might get fed up one day soon. And I might end up in California, become a plastic boy and binge on Sangrias all day. Oh wait, that’s only if the US gives me another Visa. And I don’t end up being jailed or spied on because I am an Arab and a Muslim. Sigh. Now even silly dreams are not an option.



From Gaza with whatever love left inside,

Omar Ghraieb

Days 9-11 of Israeli aggression on Gaza: Entrapment

Days 9-11 of Israeli aggression on Gaza: Entrapment 

Gaza - I used to look out of my bedroom window and stare at the sky at different times of the day, and lose myself in my dreams and the vastness of the skies above.

I would think about my life, where I would be years from now, what I would want to accomplish, and so many other important but trivial thoughts. However, most importantly, I would imagine traveling to different countries and cities around the world.

My bedroom window was like the window to the universe. Through it, I imagined the next adventure on which I would embark.

Right now, the sight of my bedroom window makes me cringe.

I have been housebound for more than ten days, a little prison located inside the biggest open-air prison on earth — besieged Gaza. Due to regular nearby explosions, I have been told by my family not to go near the window. It has started to look like it has prison bars.

And when I get close to it for some fresh air, I start wondering about completely different questions, such as: When will I ever see my friends again? When will I see Gaza’s beach? When will I visit my favorite places in Gaza? Will I survive to dream through this window again?
Guaranteed

With war, nothing is guaranteed. Who can guarantee my survival when four little kids playing on the beach are killed by Israel? An Israeli warship bombed a shack near the boys — who ran away after that first strike and were then directly, deliberately hit in another strike. They had hopes and dreams too.

“Is this the end?” I ask myself. How did I go from dreaming about the impossible to wondering whether I would live to see another day, at the same window? Ah, war. I regretted listening to Adele’s “Skyfall” song. It’s not the right time to quote it or even play it in my head. I don’t want the sky to fall on Gaza.
Anticipation

The United Nations proposed a brief “humanitarian” ceasefire of five hours on Thursday, 17 July. Both Hamas and Israel agreed to it. It started at 10am. Yet seconds before the ceasefire ended, Israel committed a massacre and killed a number of people — which ruins the whole concept or a humanitarian ceasefire. At 10am, drones and warplanes were still over our heads.

When the ceasefire first went into effect, nothing changed. Few people left their homes. Silence was laying heavy over Gaza. Careful anticipation spread until, just a little over an hour in, people start leaving their houses in unison, as if everyone had coordinated it — but of course they didn’t.

Cars started moving, streets became busy, people rushed to stock up on items they needed. An electric mood ran through Gaza. Ironic how life in the human body is represented by the blood flowing through the veins but death is represented in Gaza when blood is flowing in the streets.

I stayed up all night, wondering, would the short ceasefire happen? Should I go out? Where would I go out? Who would I see? What would I do? What would I buy? A series of endless questions bottled up in a building sensation of pure anticipation. Oh, and adrenaline.

When the time came, I went to the door, with no certain plans in mind, and started to open it when it all hit me. What the hell was I doing? I closed the door and went back in.
The beach

As much as I was dying to go out, to breathe, to see the sky and the beach, to see any of my friends, to see the streets, I realized that I was being treated like a prisoner and a lab rat — both at the same time.

I am being confined and controlled. I am being told when I am allowed to leave and when I should return to lock myself back home and wait till we get bombed and killed again. It felt like a scam, a humanitarian scam in that we need to stock on up medicine and food, which I understand.
How can I ever look at the beach the same when those little Baker angels played football on the beach in the early morning, and then ran for their lives only to be shelled and killed by Israel? For playing football. Isn’t it enough that it took us years to forget the Ghalia family massacre on a Gaza beach years ago? Now we have a new massacre that reminds us of the old ones.

How will I ever look at Gaza beaches the same now?

The beaches are some of the most beautiful jewels of Gaza. They are like lifelines that keep people sane and help them enjoy themselves beyond the siege, the occupation and personal hardships.

Even they have been taken away from us. The beaches are now ruined and tainted. But I guess this is the effect of war and occupation. Israel wants to diminish your soul, your being. It wants to confine your existence and stain every nice aspect of your life or where you live — as if the siege wasn’t bad enough.
Prison

I boycotted the “humanitarian” scam of a ceasefire, and I decided to stay in my prison. Going out to the prison yard for a few hours won’t really take away the fact that my home is a small prison inside a big one.

It was difficult, but my heart felt like it was the right thing to do. I will boycott every humanitarian ceasefire until the war ends and children stop getting killed.

Israel kept threatening us with ground invasion every day for days, until that one night. I felt it before it was reported. We were attacked by land, air and sea. Gaza was turned into a scene from a Hollywood movie, except we were living inside of it.

The sky turned red, night turned to day and you could hear every kind of weapon being used. The ground was shaking, the house was lit like a discotheque and the loud blasts were no longer a background sound. The numbers of deaths and injuries have started increasing dramatically since the ground invasion, which proves how vicious it is.

War continues. New lives, dreams, hopes and existences are being killed. New bombings are everywhere. New bloodshed. New massacres. New families wiped out completely. A daily renewed contract of imprisonment.

Can you see the light at the end of tunnel?

First appeared on Electronic Intifada: http://electronicintifada.net/content/how-will-i-ever-look-gaza-beach-same-again/13611

Surviving Israel's bombs: Dos & Donts War-zone guidebook

Surviving Israel's bombs: Dos & Donts War-zone guidebook 

Photo credit: AFP - Mohamed Hams

Gaza – Every night I seem to think it’s the worst night, until I go through the next one. I got so used to the house shaking and moving from the consecutive blasts that it now feels weird when everything is still. Flashing lights, the ground shaking all around, that’s my house during the current Israeli war on Gaza.

Every day, Israeli warplanes bomb a new house; a mosque is hit; a car is blasted; a hospital is attacked. Even cemeteries and handicap associations are no longer safe. Every day, new people die, people who were once alive with hopes and dreams, are now nothing but a number in a news report. Life is so vulnerable in Gaza right now that your life can suddenly become a statistic. No one knows who will become a number, or when.

When you live in a conflict zone, like Gaza, experiences force you little by little to create the best “Dos and Don’ts” warzone guidebook. After three wars in the space of six years, you manage to figure out the best ways to survive with the limited options available to you:

Warzone guidebook

Anticipate and don’t hesitate. Don’t wait for it to happen, and head out of your house in the daylight to stock the basics. Make a plan and a list of everything you need and make sure to calculate the distance between the places and the time you will need. You are not going on a fun ride. Make sure all the places are nearby and easy to reach without wasting too much time. You will need a good amount of clean water because no one knows how long it will last.

Life is so vulnerable in Gaza right now that your life can suddenly become a statistic. No one knows who will become a number, or when.

Stock up on bread and canned food, they last longer than fresh food. Do not go out at night, unless it’s an emergency. Make a list of all numbers you will need in urgent times like numbers of hospitals, doctors, family members, friends, pharmacies and such.



Stocking up on medicine is more crucial than stocking up on food. Don’t only get medicine that you take or your family takes, make sure you stock up on emergency medicine, such as a first aid kit, bandages, plasters, medical cleansing alcohol, burn soothing creams, anesthetics, dehydration solutions, painkillers and anything else you might think you will need during days of war. Remember, during war, anything can happen, so it’s important to be vigilant.

Earplugs, earplugs, earplugs. Especially for those who have issues because the sound of the blasts might cause infection, pain and/or damage to the ears.

Use water and electricity wisely, moderately and efficiently. Make sure everything is recharged whenever possible. Stock up on candles or emergency flashlights, and make sure you always have enough batteries. Also, be careful when using candles, be always alert and never sleep while a candle is still lit.

Stay away from windows, unless you want to risk being on the receiving end of flying glass, or have your face cut to shreds. Stay away from doors. People say that corners are always the safest place in every house, so make sure you stay near one. Crack the windows open, because they have a larger chance of exploding if they are closed, especially when an attack happens close by and the pressure of the blast causes the window to explode. However, always keep the doors closed.

Do not rush to look out the window if you hear anything, and avoiding running to a nearby site that got burned or hit or bombed.

Never speak about locations or give too much information on landlines, mobile phones, or online. You are putting your life in danger and the life of other people who never gave you permission to endanger them.

Make sure you sleep at least three to five hours a day. There might be nights where you won’t be able to sleep at all, so sleep whenever you can. It is true that adrenaline keeps you awake and running for days, but when the rush dwindles, you will need days to recover, so be cautious.

Have a fire extinguisher in your house or building and make sure to be ready in case a blaze sparks anywhere near you. Getting burned isn’t fun. And stay hydrated.

Stay alert. This might save your life 90 percent of the time, unless you are destined to die. When you are alert you can anticipate danger and stay away from it or get out of it fast. Listen to your gut and have your instincts always on full-drive mode. I’ve found that in some ways it is actually more beneficial to stay alert than being safe because safety isn’t ensured unless you are well aware.

Ultimately, safety is nowhere to be found in Gaza, but you use whatever means you have.


Ultimately, safety is nowhere to be found in Gaza, but you use whatever means you have.



Ceasefires and ground invasions

The question of a ground invasion is one many Gazans were asking whenever we heard something on the news. The monster that is the ground invasion has been used as a fear tactic for days, Israel threatening Gaza with it every day, until one night: the night it happened. And I certainly felt it and heard it before it was even reported.

Israeli tanks, already beefed up on the border line, started advancing into southern and northern Gaza. Smoke bombs and tank shells were raining on Gaza, especially in the previously mentioned areas. We were attacked by land, air, and sea. And boy could we hear it and feel it. There were sounds of consecutive and rocking explosions, then it started getting harder to guess from where they were originating and where they will fall.

Since the ground invasion, the number of fatalities and casualties has been increasing dramatically by the minute, which only indicates how vicious it is.

Another issue we’ve been pondering revolves around the question of a ceasefire. My neighbors from one side are with it; they are tired and can’t handle any more madness. My neighbors from the other side are against it; singing melodies of how strong Gaza is. I, on the other hand, am sitting in the middle wondering when I will see the beach here again, or if I ever will.

Gaza is like one small village where everyone knows everyone. Everybody is related in one way or another. And those who you don’t know in real life, you befriend through social media, essentially turning Gaza into more than just a village, but a home which significantly helps when it comes to finding out what’s happening, and trying to figure out what to do. But even these connections don’t change the fact that we still face limited options.

Two nights ago, for example, many of my friends received Israeli recorded evacuation calls, all of whom live in the same area I live in. We quickly realized that we needed to formulate a “safety” plan, but in order to establish a plan, you need to understand the very real but almost comical situation on the ground. Imagine this scenario: Nalan al-Sarraj, who lives in Tal al-Hawa, tweeted that she got an evacuation call and was heading to her friend’s house which isn’t far from her’s. While I didn’t get a call myself, we still worked on scenarios of what we should do. Say I got an evacuation call and went to seek refuge with a friend, they might have already left their house because they too got a call. We both, then, would seek refuge with a third friend, and while we are there, he gets an evacuation call. “Where should we all go?” a question myself, Nalan and many others keep asking.

Truth to be told, nowhere in Gaza is safe. Some refugees sought refuge in UNRWA schools, but these were bombed by Israel during its “Operation Cast Lead.”

There is also the sound of actually hearing the missile falling and then a blast. That’s the best and our favorite kind here. Hearing the missile fall means it probably won’t be targeting you.

Having lived here long enough, sometimes trapped for days because of wars or attacks, I’ve realized I’ve become a sound expert. Now, instead of getting bored of seeing my family and neighbors all day every day for days, I decided to develop this skill, and I can now differentiate between rockets and their sounds’ impact.


Say an Apache [helicopter] is nearby, very loudly roaring above the house; that’s bad, right? The answer is yes and no. On one hand it’s a good thing because it means your house won’t be targeted. Unfortunately it also means another house will be targeted from a place in the air above your house. Also, Apache rockets are mild in comparison to the loud, devastatingly damaging and explosive F-16 rocket.

Blasts have different sounds too. A tank shelling, for example, doesn’t sound like a warship shelling. Then there is this sudden huge blast, caused by an F-16 rocket. It will take your breath away, literally. F-16 blasts give mini heart attacks. But that’s only if you are lucky. If it’s closer, you are probably flying due to this sudden blast. There is also the sound of actually hearing the missile falling and then a blast. That’s the best and our favorite kind here. Hearing the missile fall means it probably won’t be targeting you.

I jump even when the door slams. There is a buzzing in my ears now as a result of the proximity of the explosions. My heart stops for a few seconds each time I feel a blast. I haven’t slept for nine nights, and I’m fasting during the day. My mind and body are in overdrive; tracking the news; preparing for an evacuation to I don’t know where any second now; preparing to die, stuck at home. My fear now is turning into a zombie.

At least 335 Palestinians have been killed, and a further 2,390 others injured, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. Several new massacres were committed by Israel, including those against the Abu Dagga and Bakr families. Seven fatalities from which five are children. Four children alone, brothers and cousins from Bakr family, aged 9 to 11, were hit by a warship shelling on Gaza beach while playing football. Heartbreaking. My humanity is hanging by a thread, especially after I hear such news.

Don’t people in Gaza deserve to have human rights? How about the children?

First appeared on Al AKhbar English : http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/gaza-personal-account-trying-survive-israel%E2%80%99s-bombs

Day 7-8 of Israeli aggression on Gaza: Nakba two

Day 7-8 of Israeli aggression on Gaza: Nakba two

Gaza, July 16, Israel launched a new aggression\operation\offensive against Gaza and decided to name “Protective Edge” also known as “Solid Rock”. Israeli warplanes, tanks, drones and warships participated in bombing places across Gaza all day long. This makes it the third Israeli open war against Gaza in 5 years or less. This isn’t a report, this is a personal account of what I lived today through the seventh and eighth day of Israel’s new aggression on Gaza.

NOTE: Due to lack power and too much news to track, I stopped for a while but I am trying to make up for it now. Blogs of the past few days will be posted successively.

Israeli warplanes, tanks, drones and warships have been participating in bombing places across Gaza for ten days now. This makes it the third Israeli open war against Gaza in five years or less.

Every night I seem to think it’s the worst night, until I go through the next one. I got so used to the house shaking and moving from the consecutive blasts that now it feels weird when everything is still. Flashing lights, the ground shaking all around, that’s my house during the current Israeli war on Gaza.

Every day, Israeli warplanes bomb a new house. A mosque is hit. A car is blasted. A hospital is attacked. Even cemeteries and handicap associations are no longer safe. Every day, new people die, people who were once alive with different hopes and dreams, are now nothing but a number in a news report. From life to statistics, that’s how vulnerable life is in Gaza right now. Who knows who is about to become a number, and when?

When you live in a conflict zone, like Gaza, experiences force you little by little to create the best “dos and donts” warzone guide book. First, the autopilot mode is ignited. You stock up bread, water, canned food, medicine and first-aid kits in no time without even thinking about it. You know which is the “alleged” safest spot in the house - usually the corners - and you know to stay away from windows and doors. Safety in Gaza is always missing and never found, but you use whatever means you have.

The question discussed among most of Gaza’s homes and neighborhoods has been around ceasefire or no ceasefire? My neighbors from one side are with it; they got tired and can’t handle any more madness. My neighbors from the other side are against in; singing melodies of how strong Gaza is. I, on the other hand, am sitting in the middle wondering when will I see the beach here again, or will I ever?

Gaza is like one small village where everyone knows everyone. Everybody is related one way or another. And those who you don’t know in real life, you befriend through social media, essentially turning Gaza into a home, not a village, which helps significantly when it comes to finding out what’s happening, and trying to figure out what to do. But even with these connections, it doesn’t change the fact we’re still faced with limited options.

Two nights ago, for example, many of my friends received Israeli recorded evacuation calls, all of whom live in the same area I live in. We realized quickly we needed to formulate a ‘safety’ plan, but in order to form a plan, you need to understand the very real but almost comical situation on the ground. Imagine this scenario: Nalan Al Sarraj, who lives in Tal el Hawa, tweeted that she got an evacuation call and was heading to her friend’s house which isn’t so far. While I didn’t get a call myself, we still worked on scenarios of what we should do. Say I got an evacuation call and went to seek refuge with a friend, they might already be out of their house because they too got a call. We both then would seek refuge with a third friend, and while we are there, he gets an evacuation call. “Where should we all go?” a question myself, Nalan and many others keep asking.

Truth to be told, nowhere in Gaza is safe. Some refugees sought refuge in UNRWA schools, but these were bombed by Israel during their “Operation Cast Lead”.

People living on the borderline in Gaza get evacuation leaflets, calls and warnings everyday to leave their lives and home behind and evacuate. Not enough UNRWA schools to seek refuge at. And the strip is already condensed hence the dramatic numbers of fatalities and death.

Living here long enough, trapped for days sometimes because of wars or attacks, I’ve realised I’ve become an expert in sound. Now, instead of getting bored of seeing my family and neighbors all day every day for days, I decided to develop this skill, and now I can differentiate between rockets and their sounds\ impact.

Say there is an Apache is nearby, very loud roaring above the house, that’s bad right? Yes and no. It’s a good thing in one way because it means your house won’t be targeted. Unfortunately it also means another house will be targeted from a place in the air above your house. Also, Apache rockets are mild in comparison to the loud, devastatingly damaging and explosive F16 rocket.

Blasts have different sounds too. A tank shelling, for example, doesn’t sound like a warship shelling. Then there is this sudden huge blast, caused by an F16 rocket, it will take your breath away, literally. F16 blasts give mini heart attacks. But that’s only if you are lucky. If it’s closer, you are probably flying due to this sudden blast. There is also the sound of actually hearing the missile falling and then a blast. That’s the best and favorite kind among us all here. Hearing the missile fall means it probably won’t be targeting you.

I jump even when the door slams. There is a buzzing in my ears now as a result of the proximity of the explosions. My heart stops for a few seconds each time I feel a blast. I haven’t slept for nine nights, and I’m fasting during the days. My mind and body are in overdrive; tracking the news, preparing for an evacuation to I don’t know where any second now, preparing to die, stuck at home. My fear now is that I turn into a zombie.

At least 213 Palestinians have been killed at the time of writing, and a further 1565 others injured. Two new massacres were committed by Israel today against the Abu Dagga and Baker families. Seven fatalities from which five are children. Four children alone, brothers and cousins from Baker family, aged 9-11, were hit by an warship shelling on Gaza seaport, Western Gaza. Heartbreaking. My humanity is hanging by a thread, especially after I hear such news.

Don’t people in Gaza deserve to have human rights? Not even the children?

From Gaza,


Omar