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The massacres in Gaza continue while the world stands by and watches [Palestine News Network]
[August 06, 2014]

The massacres in Gaza continue while the world stands by and watches [Palestine News Network]


(Palestine News Network Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Published on Monday, 04 August 2014 17:17 // PNN/Opinion By Martin Lejeune.

Another school was bombarded today. This time in Rafah. The death toll is unknown, as many dead are still buried under the rubble. Rafah is being continuously attacked for three days, turning the city into a death zone. When I suggested to Maher, my Palestinian host,  to drive there, he said: "I still need you alive in the coming few days, because I am sure there will be further Israeli attacks, more destruction and refugees".



Maher has already taken in 62 people who fled towards the center of the Gaza Strip from the North and South. During normal times their house has 10 inhabitants, now they are 72. Maher and the employees of the charity "Islamic Relief" have set four priorities to support a part of the 200.000 refugees. Priority is to supply internally displaced Palestinians with food and water, and to improve their health and hygienic conditions. Maher drives around in his car all day to be able supply the refugees with the absolute minimum. The displaced are simple people that do not possess sufficient savings to live in a hotel or do not have any relatives in Gaya City with whom they could stay.

Since the heavy bombardment of our area in the night between the 28 th and 29 th of July (see my text "Days and nights of horror in Gaza") we are cut off from electricity, water, internet and phone. The bombs fell power poles and cut telephone cables. Ever since July 29, Maher is trying to find someone to repair the telephone line, but he cannot find a single employee of the telephone company. As laymen one can improvise a lot, but repairing a broken telecommunication network is beyond us. To resupply the house with electricity, Maher is looked for a generator. However, that is not an easy undertaking as none of Gaza's 1.8 million inhabitants have electricity. Eventually he somehow managed to get generator and some petrol filled in water bottles and cans. He knows the owner of the petrol station and asked to pay later. As the generator does its work, I can write again from "home". However, I still have to head to the restaurant of a hotel to send my texts as it is currently the only place with internet in the Gaza Strip.


Trash is piling up on the balcony and in the courtyard, because since the beginning of the war, garbage collectors stopped coming. It is smelly and small white worms are crawling from one bag to the other. Simply disgusting. But where should we put it? Within our quarter I am already known as the "German journalist" who is interviewing survivors and eyewitnesses of the bombardment of civilians and documents potential war crimes. Because of lacking electricity, I do not manage to immediately transcribe, translate and publish all the interviews I am conducting. But rest assured, I am working on it. We spend so much time to simply survive that I cannot be as productive as I wish to be. For example, I have also interviewed a trader whose sons Mohammed and Husam were killed within a split-second when their transporter was attacked. I have interviewed the owner of a grocery store, whose small children played football on the roof. They were attacked by F16 fighter jets and both died immediately. These are only two fathers of many that cry these days. The world is standing by and doing nothing to prevent this massacre. No one helps the people in Gaya. They are being butchered in their open air prison from which they cannot flee.

Death is our constant companion whenever we are heading by car towards bombed out residential houses, public institution or the refugee camps. At any time and at any place bombs can suddenly rain from the sky without any warning. Even moving cars are often targeted from above. We see those burnt out car wrecks on the sides for the roads. I will upload the photos as soon as I am able to.

Yesterday the Al-Shafi mosque in Gaza City was hit seven or eight times by F16 fighter jets. The mosque normally houses 8000 believers and functions as a house of worship, community hall, library and sports arena. All of that is now missing. Even the family house of Beith Lakhia mayor was targeted. The strike killed him and his entire family. All dead. This is a war against civilians, Gaza's infrastructure and against the most important public figures. The people from Gaza say that and I say that. A girl that is going into third grade, lives in the neighbouring house to the Al-Shafi mosque. She was inured during the attacks. She is disturbed and sad, telling me: "All Israeli's [that do those things to us, remark of author] may roast in hell." I recorded the interview, uploaded it to Youtube and linked it with my Tumblr-Blog. A German translation follows at the end of the video.

"The people that are now sunbathing at the beaches of Tel Aviv or Eilat, sitting and joking in cafes and are dancing in disco's, may enjoy paradise for now. However, when judgment day arrives they will go to hell. The people of Gaza that are being hit from water, air and sea; have to go into hiding inside their homes, not being able to see the daylight anymore; are lacking electricity, water and bread; living through hell on earth; will go to paradise", says Maher.

(c) 2014 Palestine News Network, Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

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