Today in Gaza...March 27

Today in Gaza...March 27

Today in Gaza......our few days of peace were broken. Just when I was getting used to the quiet, F-16s began flying over really low. It has been so nice without them in the skies, without the constant drone of drones, without explosions punctuating the day like badly-placed full-stops, ending yet another life.

Just when I was relaxing again into the friendliness and generosity of the Gazan people, where it is unusual to leave a cake shop with less money than when you entered, because either the people serving refuse to accept it, or another customer pays for your purchase “because you are helping Gaza, we must help you!”

Just when we have had electricity for 8 hours on, 8 hours off, for two days now – a vast improvement to the 8 hours on, 16 hours off.

Just when I was wondering what was up, because there is no way Israel would be giving us this break unless they had something else up their sleeve...

...and it is not too difficult to figure out what. The fuel crisis they have manufactured to put pressure on the Hamas government has certainly caused a lot of suffering to the Gazan people, and the deaths of at least two children.

But their crowing reports in the Israeli media that 48% of Gazans blame the government for the crisis miss a crucial point – 52% of Gazans do NOT blame the government!! Or that they blame the government for not managing the crisis as well as they could have (??!), not for causing it.

No amount of media spin will change the overwhelming majority view that the Israeli siege is the root of the current crisis, and that the solution is not to get rid of Hamas, but to get rid of the siege, and of Israeli occupation.

Friday will no doubt show the world who the majority of Gazans blame, when they march on the invented borders – peacefully, and without any intention to cross them.

That is, if Israel holds off that long.....

ends

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