Subscribe to Common Dreams News Updates
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
Suddenly Bombs Started Falling
We arrived inside Gaza at 5pm last night. We were met by Anees, a 23 year old Gazan. He has guided us around the community. When we first came in tonight, kids were playing soccer in the street. We saw lots of heavily damaged buildings, especially government buildings and homes near border.
There was no electricity when we first arrived. Later it came on for a while. People tell us that in some places electricity is on for 2 hours a day, other places as much as 6 hours a day.
We are spending the night in Rafah near Sea Street - about 450 meters from border, about 1 and a half miles from the Egypt border crossing. Also staying with us is Dr. Jim Jennings of Conscience International who is delivering medicines. Anees told us we could not stay with his family, because their house is near the border and that is too dangerous. So he arranged for us to stay in the home of a friend of his, Abed. The rest of Abed's family fled. Only Abed is here in the home with us. People brought us food and tea. Their hospitality to us is amazing.
Anees told us tonight that he has no longer wants to make new friends because so many of his have died. A new friend may die tomorrow or disappear. He knew Rachel Corrie and she was the main reason he learned English. Others told us Anees went under fire to help Tom Hurndall get to the hospital when he was shot by IDF snipers.
At 12:24 am, we were asleep when suddenly bombs started falling. There were explosions about every 11 minutes. There were very loud noises and big bursts of light and everything shook. We could not tell where the bombs were hitting. At 1 am a helicopter flew over and all the electricity in the neighborhood went out.
It is hard to imagine kids and families going through this night after night.
This is all we can write right now. Please work to stop the bombing.
6 Comments so far
Show AllIf it's that bad on the Egyptian side, imagine what it's like where the bombs are actually landing.
STOP THE MASSACRE!!
People often describe the drama of war,
The sound of aircraft and missiles and sirens in the night.
Few describe the pervading stench
Of bodies, human and animal, rotting beneath the rubble,
Of sewage and vomit and blood baking in the sun.
Few seem to note the smell of fear given off by humans
As the stress level increases and the ability to cope vanishes.
These are the things that remain,
Buried deep in the psyche of all caught in war,
Whether target or shooter.
They fester deep in the heart and mind
And break out in the night in screams, homicides and suicides.
These are the truisms of any war, past, present, or future.
And will continue until we learn to stop killing,
And start feeling and talking and loving again.
"And start feeling and talking and loving again."
I'm sorry? Criticise? Why? It's the Israelis and you should know they are ALWAYS right (chosen people, don't you know). Besides, they need to keep to 100:1 ratio up somehow...... Isn't there also research that shows that Gazans, like fish, don't feel pain? AND - don't forget that Gazans, well, you know, just as whales and apes and dogs are SOCIAL, that doesn't make them HUMAN... and if they WANT to stay where they're so obviously not wanted, it's their lookout - same on the West Bank - they should know that rampaging gangs of SettlerTeens have all the rights they need and just move.. aren't arabs traditionally nomadic? - they should just Nomad the F### out of Israel. Actually they must be really stupid if they don't get the hint, what with the road blocks, the bombings, having their farms uprooted, their kids stoned on the way to school, untreated sewage from hilltop houses flow down to them.. yeah - since they are so palpably stupid, they don't deserve a place to stay. It's evolution - even the Neanderthals took less time to get rid of.
I assume this is just a sarcasm post, no?
Terrance Mitchell
Redfield, South Dakota
Thank you Kathy and Audry, for your courage. Few, beside the Gazans, seem to have any right now.
---USAn---