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5 Palestinians In Gaza Highlight Disagreement On Possible Ceasefire, Ideology Of Hamas
5 Palestinians In Gaza Highlight Disagreement On Possible Ceasefire,
GAZA CITY -- On Tuesday, there was a glimmer of hope when Israel accepted
the terms of an Egypt-proposed ceasefire with Hamas. But the Islamist militant
group, claiming that it had never been consulted, called the ceasefire a “joke” and turned it down.
Many Palestinians here say they bear the brunt of the fighting and are
hoping for a ceasefire, even if it doesn’t solve the everyday problems plaguing
Gaza, like high unemployment and stark poverty. And yet others say they support
the continued war with Israel, a country they deem an occupier and an enemy.
Since the surge in violence between Israel and Hamas began early last week,
more than 190 Palestinians -- the majority of them civilians -- have been
killed. The first Israeli died in the cross-border violence Tuesday
after getting hit by shrapnel.
With Hamas calling the shots in Gaza, here’s what some Palestinian civilians
say they want, and how they really feel about Israel and the militant group.
Abu Awad, 70, who was displaced in 1948
Abu Awad was 4 years old when he was displaced from his home in what is now
Jaffa, Israel. He says he’ll never forget returning to the house decades later,
knocking on the door to find an Israeli man there. Awad showed the man the room
in which he was born and the two men cried together, he says.
Awad is now determined to fight for his land, he says as he sits on a street
corner in Gaza City’s al-Shati refugee camp.
“Hamas is defending itself against the occupation, so you can’t call them
terrorists,” he says. "I’m not pushing for a ceasefire. The solution is
the siege should be lifted, the borders opened, and the prisoners freed.”
A 22-year-old Palestinian Christian man
Several months ago, a 22-year-old Christian man who requested anonymity to
speak freely about Hamas, graduated from college with a concentration in
English. But like many young Palestinians here, he says can’t find work and is
fed up with the cycle of violence.
“Hamas doesn’t want to stop the war,” he says, sitting in his living room.
“But the missiles are useless. They only do small damage. You don’t fight back
by poking them. To solve Gaza’s problems, it’s not about rockets. As long as we
are deprived of basic needs, we will not be able to act according to
international law that protects Israel, but not us.”
Across the room from where he sits hangs a tapestry of Saint George, the
patron saint of soldiers, slaying a dragon. He’s revered here as a Palestinian
symbol of steadfastness.
“I don’t like the ideology of Hamas," he continues. "They’re
brainwashed. Hamas undermines the value of Palestinian life. I’m not against
resistance [to Israel]. But I want intellectual leaders -- not military
leaders.”
Umm Mohamed Sultan, a mother of four who fled northern Gaza
Umm Mohamed Sultan left her home on Sunday night in Beit Lahia, a city in
northern Gaza, after Israel dropped pamphlets warning residents to evacuate or
risk dying from airstrikes. The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas,
which regularly fires rockets at Israel from the north.
“I want Hamas to fire rockets,” she says, sitting with her family at a U.N.
school in Gaza City. “But it also threatens our safety and it doesn’t do much
damage. Is it worth it? No one can live like this.”
“My son was so scared," she adds as she holds the 2-year-old, still in
shock from the middle-of-the-night escape. "He covers his ears and yells
whenever there are bombings. My daughter shakes. I hear rockets being shot off
near my house and Israel responds to the whole area."
Anwar Qasqeen, a middle-aged fisherman
Anwar Qasqeen, who has been a fisherman in Gaza City for more than 30 years,
says that his job was difficult even before the most recent round of fighting
began last week. In 2007, Israel imposed a sea, land and air blockade in
response to Hamas attacks. When he went out too far in his boat two years ago,
Israeli ships hit his boat with a water cannon, he says.
Now, with the recent surge in conflict, he and other fisherman can't take
out their boats at all. They can only wade into shallow water. He wants the
fighting to stop, but he notes that a ceasefire would not end his everyday
problems.
“We can barely find fish to support our family," he says. "We
can’t sell them. We hope that the war will stop and we’ll get to a ceasefire.”
In the distance, waves crash on the shore and fishermen throw their nets
into the sea. Qasqeen is a vehement supporter of resistance against Israel,
which he considers an occupier of Gaza, but he says he's unsure whether the
resistance effort -- by Hamas, specifically -- is making a difference.
“Nonviolent resistance has proved ineffective. So has violent
resistance," he says, as several barefoot, sea-splashed children listen
on. “Israel has settlers and extremists and we have Hamas. They have been too
extreme and Hamas has been too extreme. We both suffer.”
Mohamad, 26, a survivor of an Israeli airstrike
An Israeli missile hit Mohamed's home on Sunday night, completely destroying
it. He says that some people in his family are members of Hamas, but that most
of the people who lived in his home are not part of the group. He requested
anonymity to speak freely.
“I want it to end,” he says, standing mere feet away from the blast site
where his home used to stand. “It’s a war against all of us -- not just Hamas.
I want a truce. It was shitty before, but shitty without war is better than
shitty and dying.”
Now 26, Mohamed graduated from university several years ago and hasn’t been
able to find a job. The living conditions are unbearable in Gaza, he says.
5 Palestinians In Gaza Highlight Disagreement On Possible Ceasefire,
Ideology Of Hamas
Posted: Updated:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/15/palestinians-ceasefire_n_5588435.html?utm_hp_ref=world&utm_hp_ref=world
the terms of an Egypt-proposed ceasefire with Hamas. But the Islamist militant
group, claiming that it had never been consulted, called the ceasefire a “joke” and turned it down.
Many Palestinians here say they bear the brunt of the fighting and are
hoping for a ceasefire, even if it doesn’t solve the everyday problems plaguing
Gaza, like high unemployment and stark poverty. And yet others say they support
the continued war with Israel, a country they deem an occupier and an enemy.
Since the surge in violence between Israel and Hamas began early last week,
more than 190 Palestinians -- the majority of them civilians -- have been
killed. The first Israeli died in the cross-border violence Tuesday
after getting hit by shrapnel.
With Hamas calling the shots in Gaza, here’s what some Palestinian civilians
say they want, and how they really feel about Israel and the militant group.
Abu Awad, 70, who was displaced in 1948
Abu Awad was 4 years old when he was displaced from his home in what is now
Jaffa, Israel. He says he’ll never forget returning to the house decades later,
knocking on the door to find an Israeli man there. Awad showed the man the room
in which he was born and the two men cried together, he says.
Awad is now determined to fight for his land, he says as he sits on a street
corner in Gaza City’s al-Shati refugee camp.
“Hamas is defending itself against the occupation, so you can’t call them
terrorists,” he says. "I’m not pushing for a ceasefire. The solution is
the siege should be lifted, the borders opened, and the prisoners freed.”
A 22-year-old Palestinian Christian man
Several months ago, a 22-year-old Christian man who requested anonymity to
speak freely about Hamas, graduated from college with a concentration in
English. But like many young Palestinians here, he says can’t find work and is
fed up with the cycle of violence.
“Hamas doesn’t want to stop the war,” he says, sitting in his living room.
“But the missiles are useless. They only do small damage. You don’t fight back
by poking them. To solve Gaza’s problems, it’s not about rockets. As long as we
are deprived of basic needs, we will not be able to act according to
international law that protects Israel, but not us.”
Across the room from where he sits hangs a tapestry of Saint George, the
patron saint of soldiers, slaying a dragon. He’s revered here as a Palestinian
symbol of steadfastness.
“I don’t like the ideology of Hamas," he continues. "They’re
brainwashed. Hamas undermines the value of Palestinian life. I’m not against
resistance [to Israel]. But I want intellectual leaders -- not military
leaders.”
Umm Mohamed Sultan, a mother of four who fled northern Gaza
Umm Mohamed Sultan left her home on Sunday night in Beit Lahia, a city in
northern Gaza, after Israel dropped pamphlets warning residents to evacuate or
risk dying from airstrikes. The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas,
which regularly fires rockets at Israel from the north.
“I want Hamas to fire rockets,” she says, sitting with her family at a U.N.
school in Gaza City. “But it also threatens our safety and it doesn’t do much
damage. Is it worth it? No one can live like this.”
“My son was so scared," she adds as she holds the 2-year-old, still in
shock from the middle-of-the-night escape. "He covers his ears and yells
whenever there are bombings. My daughter shakes. I hear rockets being shot off
near my house and Israel responds to the whole area."
Anwar Qasqeen, a middle-aged fisherman
Anwar Qasqeen, who has been a fisherman in Gaza City for more than 30 years,
says that his job was difficult even before the most recent round of fighting
began last week. In 2007, Israel imposed a sea, land and air blockade in
response to Hamas attacks. When he went out too far in his boat two years ago,
Israeli ships hit his boat with a water cannon, he says.
Now, with the recent surge in conflict, he and other fisherman can't take
out their boats at all. They can only wade into shallow water. He wants the
fighting to stop, but he notes that a ceasefire would not end his everyday
problems.
“We can barely find fish to support our family," he says. "We
can’t sell them. We hope that the war will stop and we’ll get to a ceasefire.”
In the distance, waves crash on the shore and fishermen throw their nets
into the sea. Qasqeen is a vehement supporter of resistance against Israel,
which he considers an occupier of Gaza, but he says he's unsure whether the
resistance effort -- by Hamas, specifically -- is making a difference.
“Nonviolent resistance has proved ineffective. So has violent
resistance," he says, as several barefoot, sea-splashed children listen
on. “Israel has settlers and extremists and we have Hamas. They have been too
extreme and Hamas has been too extreme. We both suffer.”
Mohamad, 26, a survivor of an Israeli airstrike
An Israeli missile hit Mohamed's home on Sunday night, completely destroying
it. He says that some people in his family are members of Hamas, but that most
of the people who lived in his home are not part of the group. He requested
anonymity to speak freely.
“I want it to end,” he says, standing mere feet away from the blast site
where his home used to stand. “It’s a war against all of us -- not just Hamas.
I want a truce. It was shitty before, but shitty without war is better than
shitty and dying.”
Now 26, Mohamed graduated from university several years ago and hasn’t been
able to find a job. The living conditions are unbearable in Gaza, he says.
“Unemployment is high. Power is out every day. The borders are closed, we
have no right to travel. We’re held against our will. No way to potentially get
what we need.”
have no right to travel. We’re held against our will. No way to potentially get
what we need.”
COMMENT:
Both Israel and Hamas has problems and the US President's doctrine
spelt out clearly that dialog and negotiation is the main means to solve all
differences and disputes. But the world community of Nations now sees clearly
that Israel is the aggressor.
Israel has the tendency to get everything in its favor by force on the strength
of using, war equipments, muscle power and military force. It howls that they
are using these all in self defense. Whereas, Hamas is confronting Israel with
only ineffective rockets may be hundreds and thousands but useless could only
kill one Israel with probably a dozens with minor wounds.
In addition, Israel used air land and sea bombardments on Gaza, air strikes
with war planes using Prohibited shells and bombs.
World Community has collected the evidences of using US made equipments given
to Israel and accused Israel of having committed
genocide asking UN for immediate investigation to the effect.
Now, we have to view that Israel is willfully
entangling US smearing its name to get saved from another committal of
Genocide. Had not Israel used the prohibited weapons and ammunition in such a case the
US Name would not appear. It is nothing but stabbing US at the back. Is it a Good thing to do.
Do we need to call it a friend.
Would this affair continue till Israel Polaris's
and infuriate the Total Muslim community of the world to start a fight to end
the world or commit another Holocaust. After all for whose interest?
Hamas should also stop playing reciprocation with
toys prolonging the killing of innocent Muslims by Israel. if Hamas wants to
really fight then go out and fight in the open. Why sit in hiding and get
innocent people get killed both Sunnis and Shiites.
spelt out clearly that dialog and negotiation is the main means to solve all
differences and disputes. But the world community of Nations now sees clearly
that Israel is the aggressor.
Israel has the tendency to get everything in its favor by force on the strength
of using, war equipments, muscle power and military force. It howls that they
are using these all in self defense. Whereas, Hamas is confronting Israel with
only ineffective rockets may be hundreds and thousands but useless could only
kill one Israel with probably a dozens with minor wounds.
In addition, Israel used air land and sea bombardments on Gaza, air strikes
with war planes using Prohibited shells and bombs.
World Community has collected the evidences of using US made equipments given
to Israel and accused Israel of having committed
genocide asking UN for immediate investigation to the effect.
Now, we have to view that Israel is willfully
entangling US smearing its name to get saved from another committal of
Genocide. Had not Israel used the prohibited weapons and ammunition in such a case the
US Name would not appear. It is nothing but stabbing US at the back. Is it a Good thing to do.
Do we need to call it a friend.
Would this affair continue till Israel Polaris's
and infuriate the Total Muslim community of the world to start a fight to end
the world or commit another Holocaust. After all for whose interest?
Hamas should also stop playing reciprocation with
toys prolonging the killing of innocent Muslims by Israel. if Hamas wants to
really fight then go out and fight in the open. Why sit in hiding and get
innocent people get killed both Sunnis and Shiites.
Hamas should take lesson from Iraq's
condition and the advent of ISIS. Do Hamas want the repetition in Palestine too?
condition and the advent of ISIS. Do Hamas want the repetition in Palestine too?
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