Workers in Gaza remove rubble from last winter’s attacks. With no construction materials being allowed into the besieged territory, much of Gaza remains devasted.

“As a human first and foremost, I need to live normally like before. This situation is unprecedented — before the siege was enforced here, I didn’t have time to sit. But now things have changed, now we are professional talkers.”

What prevents Salim from returning to work is the lack of raw building materials in the Gaza Strip, due to Israel’s crippling Israeli blockade of the territory since June 2007. In March 2009, international donors including the US, Europe and Saudi Arabia met in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm al-Sheikh pledging at least $4 billion to reconstruct Gaza following last winter’s 22-day Israeli invasion of the territory. However, the promised funds have yet to reach Gaza as the international community continues to boycott the governing Hamas party.

“In order for us to rebuild houses, facilities, schools, mosques and other [buildings], we need basic building materials like cement, iron, aluminum, wood, plastic, etc. At the very least, we need cement and iron to start reconstruction immediately,” said Salim.

According to local and international estimates, the Israeli assault on Gaza rendered tens of thousands of homes, schools, governmental buildings, mosques and other facilities either partially or completely destroyed. As a result, more than 51,000 residents are homeless.

“I used to live happily with my children in a regular house in the Jabaliya refugee camp, but now I live miserably in this tent, where even animals could not get by. We appeal for help that will rid us of this miserable life,” said Mahmoud Abu Alanzain, a displaced father of three children, while in his tent in the al-Rayan refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. The tents were set up as temporary shelter after the fighting stopped.

The al-Rayan refugee camp in northern Gaza.

Another scene of destruction in the coastal enclave is that of the local universities. Israeli shelling targeted the Islamic University and al-Aqsa University’s agricultural school.

“We in the Islamic University of Gaza have lost a significant scientific laboratory building because of the bombing by Israeli warplanes. This laboratory used to serve not only the university’s tests, but also those of other sectors of the Gaza community such as the agricultural or water sectors. We used to perform needed tests for poisonous substances, checks that cannot be done, except in the university’s laboratory,” Dr. Kamalin Shaath, president of the Islamic University of Gaza, explained.

In recent weeks, the Hamas government undertook a widespread campaign to remove the rubble of destroyed buildings. Also, local engineers, based on the idea that need is the mother of invention, have begun using available materials like mud to rebuild some facilities.

“We have embarked on removing the ruins of knocked down buildings throughout Gaza, in an attempt to repair some of the damage, using mud. Unfortunately, our attempts have failed so far due to technical reasons. One of the main reasons is the fact that we don’t have enough land space to build vertically, besides the lack of many essential raw materials such as electrical or sanitation supplies,” said Dr. Yousef al-Mansi, minister of works and construction in Gaza.

Al-Mansi added that his ministry is willing to cooperate with any international body for the sake of reconstructing the war-torn Gaza Strip, but without preconditions designed to undermine Hamas’ governance.

“It is unnecessary that we get cash into our hands; what is needed is that the reconstruction begins, so that the people can be housed again. We have given a chance for contractors, companies, institutions and countries to come and implement the reconstruction in coordination with us. For those who want to reconstruct, there are many clear means for them to start building, but we reject any political extortion. In the last war, we lost our children, our families and our homes; all we want is to live in dignity.”

The US and European Union have boycotted Hamas since the party came to power in internationally monitored and recognized elections in 2006. They have placed demands on Hamas to recognize Israel as a “Jewish state,” renounce violence and accept previously negotiated agreements.

Visibly frustrated, contractor Azzam Salim said, “I am so eager to return back to my work, it is like someone who is left in a desert without water.”

Rami Almeghari is a journalist and university lecturer based in the Gaza Strip.

Tareq Abu Daya shows off the Goldstone kuffiyeh at his shop in Gaza City.

Tareq Abu Daya, owner of a popular souvenir shop in the heart of Gaza City, has recently offered his customers a new kuffiyeh, or traditional checkered scarf, on which the name of Judge Richard Goldstone is inscribed.

“When the famous UN report of Judge Richard Goldstone was first made public, I thought of something that would be in honor of such a significant report that accuses Israel of war crimes against Gaza during the last war,” Abu Daya said.

Abu Daya’s idea is the latest of similar novelty souvenirs that his shop has sold over the past several years to Palestinians and internationals visiting the territory. Every noteworthy occasion and event is marked with a new creative souvenir — from Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 to the failed Annapolis summit.

“The Goldstone report is considered a very important event that might bring to justice Israeli war criminals who committed war crimes against the residents of the Gaza Strip during the last Israeli war on the region. My shop would offer this kuffiyeh as a sort of tribute to Mr. Richard Goldstone, who bravely revealed Israeli war crimes against the Palestinians,” Abu Dayeh explained while showing off the new merchandise.

Since the kuffiyeh was first offered by the Abu Daya store, more than 150 customers purchased it as a sign of their appreciation for Judge Goldstone and his report.

“Unfortunately, I have not sold a large number of this kuffiyeh, apparently because of the economic conditions here in Gaza due to the crippling Israeli blockade on the territory. A kuffiyeh with Goldstone is sold for 85 shekels [$22 US] and because of the bad economy here this price is inflated. The reason for this price is that such a kuffiyeh is made by some women at their homes in northern Gaza,” Abu Daya made clear.

Inside the shop, one can find many other homemade souvenirs including kuffiyehs, trinkets, plates, cups and flags. All feature different forms of inscriptions or paintings, mostly related to Palestine and the struggle for justice.

“When the current US president Barack Hussein Obama took office in the beginning of 2009, I thought of marking this event, for I believe, as many other Arabs and Palestinians, that the new US president would be able to forge a change by making peace in this part of the world. My souvenir that shows Obama on a coffee mug [reads] ‘Abu Hussain [a traditional Arab nickname] Palestine loves you,’” Abu Daya said, displaying the mug.

“However, I do hope that America would not let us feel disappointed by its veto power once the Goldstone report is submitted to the UN Security Council. Such a disappointment was felt widely here when the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supported Israel’s terms for peace. Nevertheless, I will keep making new souvenirs that show our reality and reflect our Palestinian life.”

Last week, the UN General Assembly voted to approve the Goldstone report, while the US, Israel and a handful of other countries objected to the report which accuses both Israel and Hamas of war crimes.

The report calls on both parties to conduct serious investigations into these allegations so that those responsible are brought to justice. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would submit the report’s findings to the UN Security Council for consideration.

In Gaza, reactions to the report were varied — some considered it a step in the right direction that would curb Israel from committing more crimes against the Palestinians in the future, while others viewed it as merely ink on paper.
“The Goldstone report would [absolve] the repressed people in the international community,” stated 21-year-old Ahmad Abulnour, who was passing by Abu Daya’s store.

However, not everyone was as optimistic.

“The American veto would make implementation of justice difficult. I don’t expect any change out of such a report. For this report to exist or not to exist, is the same for me,” Ahmad Abu Karsh said while he and his wife chatted as they walked down a street near the Palestinian Legislative Council building in Gaza City.

Twenty-eight-year-old laborer Mohammad al-Moghramy expressed some hope towards bringing Israel to justice. “Actually, it is a good chance for us to see punishment of Israel. When this report was submitted internationally, we felt somehow relieved, hoping Israel will be prevented from perpetrating more crimes against us.”

“The report can be considered politically fair to the Palestinian people, but is against the Palestinian people’s resistance against the Israeli occupation. But it won’t change our reality due to our past experiences with previous reports or even UN Security Council resolutions,” said Mahmoud, who refused to give his full name, as he was heading down the same street as the Abu Karsh couple.

Gaza’s university students have their own opinions on the Goldstone report. Eman al-Qudsi, a student of the Arabic language, expressed her disappointment regarding the international community’s actions towards the Palestinian people. “Goldstone’s report is truly international, yet I believe that this report will be foiled by an American veto.”

Khetam Abu Mandil, also a student of Arabic, believes that the report is useless. “Our cause is clear enough and I believe that the UN Security Council and the UN itself are American-made, so I don’t foresee any real change due to such a report.”

Back at Abu Daya’s shop, the jaded attitude of Gaza’s residents is reflected in the demographics of the Goldstone kuffiyeh sales.

“I have sold the Goldstone kuffiyeh to a large number of foreigners, including international aid workers or journalists in Gaza, while the locals who have bought this kuffiyeh are customers who have enough cash,” the shopkeeper said.

All images by Rami Almeghari.

Like many other children in the region, 10-year-old Hiba Hammad from the northern Gaza Strip witnessed atrocities by the Israeli army against the population of Gaza during its assault on the coastal strip last winter.

Hiba’s smiled returned only after four months of intensive psychological therapy at the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution.

“Thank God that Hiba returned back to normal after we almost lost hope of her recovering. Right after the war, Hiba kept silent, isolated, fearful of everything around her, especially strangers. But now she is getting much better as she scored 91 percent in the final exams of her school year. Moreover, she now smiles, socializes and even jokes, thank God,” said Hiba’s sister Ettaf, who lost her husband during the attacks.

Wearing a red dress, Hiba sat opposite to her therapist, Haniya Balousha, at the center. It was her first visit there since her treatment was completed four months ago. On that day, Hiba received gifts to celebrate the end of her treatment and her recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Hiba described her trauma confidently and with a smile. “I saw on TV children being dragged from under rubble. From the roof of the house, I saw a tank dragging another [child], I also saw my three cousins’ martyred and mutilated bodies.”

Hiba merrily responded to her sister’s request that she tell us a joke. Hiba proceeded, “Once someone asked his friend, ‘Why is the ambulance parked next to the bakery?’ The friend answered: ‘In order to give first aid to the burnt bread.’”

Even her jokes reflect an ongoing problem in Gaza where Israel continues to periodically attack the Palestinian population. Parents cannot guarantee the safety of their children in the Strip.

Therapist Haniya Balousha in her office.

Following last winter’s attacks on Gaza, Balousha explained that Hiba’s performance at school suffered while previously, “she used to get high marks in her exams.” Balousha added, “Throughout our observation and treatment of Hiba, I noticed that she feared strangers, kept isolated and withdrawn. Hiba suffered [post-traumatic] stress disorder.”

Balousha added that Hiba began to gradually respond to the treatment after three sessions, after which her self-confidence began to be restored. She described the means she used to treat Hiba: “In the beginning I used to encourage her to express herself by drawing what she had seen during the war. Then I asked her to inflate balloons and then pop them. At the beginning she appeared frightened of the balloons because they reminded her of the sound of Israeli bombardment and shelling during the war. But eventually she began to be responsive until she was totally recovered as you see [her now].”

According to Balousha, Hiba’s case is quite similar to the situation of many children in Gaza during and after Israel’s attacks. She explained that since the war came to an end in January, the center treated more than 350 children suffering from PTSD.

Fourteen-year-old Yasser, who declined to give his last name, was also in a therapy session at the center. Therapist Saed al-Sersawi explained that Yasser had witnessed the killing of his father in eastern Gaza City.

“Mr. Saed teaches me how to express myself, he helps me to draw and write poetry sometimes. With his help I am feeling better now to the extent that my relations with [my environment] have improved, thank God,” said Yasser.

According to the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP), more than 60 percent of Palestinian children in Gaza suffer PTSD symptoms.

The GCMPHP’s survey also shows that hundreds of children were exposed to white phosphorous fired by the Israeli army during the 22 days of attacks on Gaza.

Abdelaziz Thabet, who works with the GCMHP, said that exposure to white phosphorous has made the majority of children and parents in Gaza feel unsafe.

“The most common traumatic events still include hearing sonic booms from the jet fighters, hearing shelling of the area, witnessing mutilation on TV, deprivation from water or electricity during detention at home, [and] shooting by bullets or rockets or bombs,” Abdelaziz explained.

Asked what kind of treatment the GCMHP offers, Abdleaziz responded, “We are doing programs like school-based intervention such as role-playing or story telling. We have also reached the most-hit regions in Gaza, such as al-Attatra, Ezbet Abed Rabo and Zaitoun. According to our own assessments there are more than 45,000 children in Gaza who need mental health treatment.”

Figures from Palestinian and international human rights organizations estimate that more than 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza were killed by Israeli forces during last winter’s invasion, including more than 300 children. The three-week-long war also left approximately 6,000 others wounded, 4,000 houses completely or partially destroyed as well as hundreds of institutions and mosques.

According to Abdelaziz, the mental suffering children face will not disappear since “the majority of children fear the return of Israeli attacks to the region.”

All images by Rami Almeghari.

Rami Almeghari is a journalist and university lecturer based in the Gaza Strip.

“We gather here as Russian wives who are married to Gazan husbands, to preserve our culture, language and some of our lifestyle, particularly under these bad conditions in Gaza,” said Jamila Assersawi, a Russian music teacher who has lived in Gaza for the past 15 years. Jamila and other Russian wives in Gaza gather at a health club in Gaza City twice a week, where they meet, chat and practice some exercises. They also let their children intermingle to preserve the Russian half of their culture.

There are roughly 5,000 Russian women in Gaza. Many, like Jamila, have been living in Gaza for many years. For Jamila, having two children and running a married life has proven difficult with the situation in Gaza, where conditions are totally different from those of her own homeland or maybe any other country in the world. “Prior to the outbreak of the intifada, I used to feel more comfortable. But since 2000 and particularly the last year, things have become much worse. There is no gas, there is no fuel, there is nothing,” she explained.

According to Palestinian statistics, the number of foreign wives in the Gaza Strip is estimated at 15,000, comprised of Russians, Romanians, Filipinos, and other nationalities. These women came to Gaza several years ago with their Palestinian husbands, who, like many Palestinian men traveled to work or get a better education outside of Gaza.

Irina Lozon, another Russian wife in her thirties who also visits this club; echoed Jamila’s sentiments. An unemployed designer, Irina says that the situation in the past year in Gaza has become unbearable, especially for her three children. “I come here to let my children enjoy some time away from the violence outside, especially the non-stop Israeli shelling for the past several months. We hope the situation gets better.”

Asked whether she thinks of returning to Russia, Irina replies that “some people left Gaza and were successful, others were not, for me sometimes I think of that, but what can we do after nine years here. I have been trying to live as hundreds of thousands of Gazans, especially for my husband.”

Originally from Romania, Monica Al-Afaghani, a 35-year-old staff nurse at Gaza’s Shifa hospital, says that she has become half-Palestinian half-Romanian since coming to Gaza ten years ago. Monica explained that “The last year has been the worst ever in the past ten years since me and my husband settled here. Prior to the last blockade on Gaza, we used to have some fun outdoors, especially my two children. But for the time being, we are confined to our houses, from house to work and from work to house. There are no encouraging signs outside, there simply is no life.”

Monica smiled broadly and added “If I were in Egypt, for example, I wouldn’t have noticed a great change in lifestyle from Romania. We might have enjoyed some time out in the Red Sea resorts.” Asked what makes her stay, Monica explained “I have become a Palestinian citizen. I have a job at the hospital, and moreover I am now half-Palestinian; Shija’iya, Sabra, Zaytoun, etc.” again smiling in reference to Gaza’s densely-populated and impoverished neighborhoods.

Her neighbor, Livia Qufe’, a 43-year-old pediatrician at Gaza’s Children’s Hospital originally from Romania, had a similar response. “I spend most of my time at the hospital, where I can enjoy something useful among my patients at this hospital. The situation in here is completely different, especially over the past year.” Livia settled in Gaza in 1994 and says that her life was better then. She added “I remember that before the intifada broke out, we used to enjoy some sort of lifestyle in Gaza similar to that in my homeland Romania, but things have become much worse over the past three years, particularly the last year under the crippling Israeli blockade.”

Asked if she might leave Gaza for a better life in Romania, Livia replied that “I wish it could work, but it can not. So I prefer to stay here as I have a job and some sort of stable life, and also my husband and I can not begin from zero, at least my husband is an employed physician here.”

Less than two weeks ago, Israel and the ruling Hamas party in Gaza agreed to an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire deal to end the year long siege and crippling blockade of the coastal territory. It remains to be seen if this truce will lead to better conditions for locals and foreigners alike or if Gaza’s 1.5 million residents will remain trapped between Israel’s blockade and attacks.

Palestinians in Gaza City enjoy the Mediterranean shore on the second day of ceasefire, 20 June 2008. (Wissam Nassar/MaanImages)

The main Palestinian political factions in Gaza agreed last week to an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire between Israel and the ruling Hamas party. According to Hamas officials in Gaza, the truce will lead to a gradual ease of the one-year-old Israeli blockade on Gaza as well as a halt to Israeli army attacks on the coastal territory. In return, Palestinian factions will commit to ceasing all homemade rocket fire from Gaza onto nearby Israeli towns for a period of six months. In addition, Palestinians and Israelis will start negotiating over the release of a captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, and the reopening of Gaza’s border crossings, including the Rafah Terminal, the main outlet to the outside world for Gaza’s population.

How long the ceasefire will hold is dependent on Israeli and Palestinian actions. However, based on the reactions of Palestinians across all levels of society to the ceasefire agreement, the possibility of sustaining the truce appears doubtful. On the streets of Gaza City, interviews with a number of residents revealed a mixture of pessimism and optimism.

Abu Fayez, 58, said that “I am hopeful that this ceasefire will sustain so that the people can be relieved of such a strangulating siege and people find a way to earn a living. However, I am doubtful about this.”

University student Mahmoud Hamdan, 22, echoed these sentiments, stating that “We look forward to a better situation, especially after a year of blockade, which burdened us heavily. But I doubt that the Israelis are concerned about a tahdiyya [truce].”

On Thursday 19 June, the first day of the truce, a Hamas statement, posted on the organization’s website, Palestine Information Center, stated that the Israeli army opened fire toward the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. In addition, it reported that Israeli gunboats fired at Palestinian fishing boats on the southern shores of Rafah city.

Meanwhile, other Palestinian factions in Gaza have their own reservations about the ceasefire deal. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine stated on Thursday that unless the Israeli occupation ends, this ceasefire can not hold.

Dr. Amer Ibrahim, a political analyst on Israeli affairs, said “the Palestinian factions’ agreement to the ceasefire, despite some reservations, will help this truce hold. However, if Israel delays, within two weeks, the reopening of the Gaza border crossings, the ceasefire will be vulnerable to collapse.”

According to Dr. Ibrahim, Israel finally accepted the ceasefire after prolonged Egyptian mediation efforts for two reasons: “First, Israeli fear that any major attack on Gaza will lead to the death of Shalit. Second, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is heading for upcoming elections. Therefore, high causalities and failure of the army to completely defeat Hamas, as happened [with Hizballah] in the last war in Lebanon, might lead to Olmert’s defeat [in the election]!”

Mohammad al-Baba, a political leader of the Popular Resistance Committee in Gaza, took part in the Cairo talks and maintained that his group will not obstruct implementation of the ceasefire, but he warned of likely Israeli procrastination in reopening Gaza’s crossings. He stated that “I believe that the fate of the crossings is still in the hands of Israel. However, we will do our best to ensure implementation of the ceasefire if Israel commits to reopening Gaza’s crossings.”

While many international players welcomed the ceasefire agreement, hoping this would lead to a more comprehensive peace agreement between the parties, Israel’s political leadership gave mixed signals. Olmert, who signed the deal jointly with Defense Minister and political rival, Ehud Barak, himself cast doubt over sustainability of the agreement, stating that “this is a shaky truce and cannot last long.” He also asserted that his army is preparing for a possible attack on Gaza.

Will the truce collapse or will the “battered” Gaza Strip have the first chance in a year to be relieved of a crippling Israeli blockade? This question will be determined by how the parties implement their mutual obligations. Meanwhile, Rana, a 22-year-old university student said, “God willing, this time the ceasefire works and we can breathe some kind of relief.”

A child plays with a balloon during one of the training sessions.

Tuesday morning at 9:00am, 220 Palestinian children gathered at al-Sherouq and al-Amal children’s club in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis refugee camp. Dressed in colorful clothes accompanied by cheerful smiles, the children lined up in rows to listen to their trainer. The children were attending their first day of a three-week-long program of training and activities at the club. “The circumstances around Palestinian society, particularly, the growing violence at many levels, have prompted us to hold this program to train children how to have less violent trends,” explained Najwa al-Farra, chairwoman of the club.

Funded by the Culture and Free Thought Society in Khan Younis, the program “attempts to decrease a great deal of the tension that many of our Palestinian children experience, especially because of sporadic Israeli gunfire and domestic violence,” al-Farra added. She said that over the past year Palestinian society has seen increasing social and economic problems due to the Israeli blockade and repeated Israeli army invasions, which have had a negative impact on the children’s way of life and behavior. The Khan Younis area borders Israel, and has been the site of several invasions by the Israeli army over the past year. During this period, a number of young girls from Khan Younis were killed by Israeli army artillery fire. The latest casualty was nine-year-old Hadeel al-Semairy, who was hit by Israeli tank fire in front of her home on 5 June.

Al-Farra explained that because of the year-long Israeli siege tens of thousands of households are now entirely dependent on food aid, “leading some children to work in order to help support their families.” She added that even those families which don’t require aid have seen their standard of living decline dramatically, with “many heads of families now unable to ensure a good living for their children, such as taking them for beach trips or amusement parks. Therefore, we are trying to compensate for these losses as best as we can”.

Children taking part in the activities.

Mervat Abu Jam’a, a media trainer in the program, spoke of the many activities, the children will be familiar with over the program’s three weeks. This includes sessions teaching the children drama, self-expression, health and environment, drawing and folklore activities.

Pointing to a drawing of a seven-car train on the nearby wall, Abu Jam’a explains “As the train’s arrival is announced, the announcer also tells the children what the new activity will be. We hope this will motivate the children to be much more engaged.”

Rowand al-Saqqa, a 12-year-old girl and activity participant, said that she is benefiting from the activities at the club. She has learned dabke, a traditional Palestinian dance, and spends some time hanging out with new friends. Similarly, Reem al-Farra, an 11-year-old girl, expressed her joy at participating in the program, and explained that she is learning many useful things including awareness of Palestinian folklore, dabke, and basic computer training.

Outside the club, the Israeli siege of Gaza and its devastating impact on Palestinian society continues. The closure, which Israel claims is intended to end rocket fire from Gaza at nearby towns, has created unprecedented poverty and unemployment levels throughout the coastal strip, as well as a shortages of essential food items and commodities. However, inside Gaza, the children have a brief reprieve from the siege, and they prepare for another activity. “Now we arrived at the drawing station, let’s draw, sweethearts!” the train station’s announcer announced.

All images by Rami Almeghari

PLEASE HELP FSRN SUSTAIN

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For Free Speech Radio News, this is Rami Almeghari in Gaza. Rami Almeghari, will no longer be available at FSRN’s broadcasts, within the course of few months. The Reason is out of his hands and has nothing to do with his will!.

It is rather related to a major  financial problem, his American family (FSRN) will be facing in a few months to come, mainly on September of this year.

Cutting off financial support to the FSRN by the Pacifica Radio in LA, would definitely mean cutting off bread to a Palestinian refugee family, who lives in the most impoverished part of the world, with 80 percent of the population depending on food aid.

Out of a sudden, my job and  my family’s source of living will no longer exist. I   feel shocked and weird  . Working for an overseas radio station has been a great job  of mine!.

I have been proud of such a job over the past couple of years, in which I have dedicated all my time , energy and efforts. 

Last December, for instance, I had to carry my lab top to recharge it at a nearby grocer, where there was a Benzene-gas power generator, under extreme darkness due to a power outage in here, which occurs frequently for prolonged hours since June2006.

On that night, I had to produce my story (an Israeli air strike on a Hamas-run ministry building), at the grocer. I returned back very quickly to my home. The internet connection was very slow, the lab top’s battery was alarming and my heart was beating!.

On the other end  (the FSRN), Eric, FSRN’s tech team, said on Gmail chat ” man, chill out, everything is fine”!.

Since I received that shocking email, which informed me about the financial cuts, I had a mix of feelings; I felt as if I did nothing at all!.   Was it really a dream?.

I don’t know, actually I don’t know, it seems that the world we live in now is merely a dream land, a world of nothing but of budgets!!!.

Losing the FSRN doesn’t mean losing my living, simply because a small insect in this world can find its food very easily, for a reason that no one can understand,  I bet!. But losing the FSRN work would mean losing you my dear readers!. Do you like that?.

My work for FSRN, which is done 11,000 miles away would have ensured me some sort of peace of mind, an open mind and an energetic mood, which I used all to contribute my publications to you dear readers.

Therefore, losing the FSRN would mean losing basic components for creation and innovation of a Palestinian refugee, who lives in poverty, unemployment and heaps of other social and psychological problems. Would you love that dear readers?

The Israeli army invasion of my town, Maghazi of July 2006, the invasion of Shuka village of  August 2006, the Gaza Labor Day of 2007/2008 and the recent Democratic presidential candidate, Barak Obama’s statements over Jerusalem of June 2008 as well as hundreds of other reports, stood a connection between peoples  in Gaza and in the U.S.

But unfortunately, this link would no longer exist soon!. Would you love this dear readers?.

For Free Speech Radio News, this is Rami Almeghari in Gaza. This logo will soon  be no longer heard in LA , unless you my dear readers extend hand of help and support to FSRN, which helps out sending a real and non-biased message.

For Free Souls and Minds, this is Rami Almeghari in Gaza.

To visit Free Speech Radio News , please go to : www.fsrn.org  

“Can you imagine that when a child of mine asks me for one shekel [USD 0.30], I can’t afford to give it to him? That’s why I hide from my children from early in the morning until evening.”

Naser al-Batran is a 41-year-old father of five children living in the central Gaza Strip. He used to work for a weaving factory inside Israel but found himself jobless after Israel’s total closure of Gaza’s travel and commercial crossings in June 2007, worsening an already difficult economic situation since Israel began shutting out Palestinian laborers years ago.

“Life has become miserable, extremely miserable,” he said.

The crippling economic blockade of the Gaza Strip colors all aspects of life there. According to the Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry, 70 percent of Gaza’s 1.5 million residents suffer from anemia, including 44 percent of pregnant women.

Malnutrition among Palestinian children has also increased over the past 11 months, affecting more than 10 percent of Gaza’s children under the age of 18, according to the Gaza City-based Ard al-Insan health organization.

A recent survey conducted by Ard al-Insan revealed that around 10.4 percent of households in Gaza City and in the northern and southern Gaza Strip suffer from chronic malnutrition. Stunting and low birth weights are also affecting children there.

“The inability of the majority of Palestinian households to purchase basic food items has increased the magnitude of this health problem,” explained Dr. Adnan Abdel Aziz al-Wahadi, the head of the health care unit of Ard Al-Insan.

“In comparison with previous times, the demand for health and nutrition care has increased over the past 11 months, as evidenced, for example, by a survey conducted in 2003 indicating that only 3.4 percent of households had malnutrition during that year,” Dr. al-Wahadi explained.

A large number of households in Gaza are currently unable to afford essential food items. Israel’s siege and collective punishment on the Gaza Strip following the democratically-elected Hamas government’s takeover there a year ago has been characterized by severe restrictions on food and fuel imports.

The situation means that Palestinians in Gaza are simply unable to afford former staples. Mohammed Mohareb, a fishmonger at the Nuseirat refugee camp market in the central Gaza Strip, complained of the residents’ inability to buy fish.

“Prior to these circumstances, I would bring in 100 boxes of fish, but now I only bring in 20, and I still can’t sell all of the fish. Now, I lose much more than I earn,” he said.

Nour al-Din Abu-Saqer, a fruit vendor, standing idle behind his fruit stand in the Maghazi refugee camp market in the central Gaza Strip, lamented, “Over the past couple of months, people have become even less likely to buy fruit, bearing in mind that for the past 11 months we have been selling less fruit than we used to.”

“We only sell fruit during the first week of each month when government employees obtain their salaries. During the rest of the month, many of our goods perish as sales go down. The prices are beyond people’s purchasing power, especially for those who are unemployed,” he explained.

The World Food Program states that 80 percent of households in the Gaza Strip depend on international food aid as the unemployment rate has reached more than 80 percent.

More than 95 percent of Gaza’s industrial sector, involving textiles, canneries, weaving factories and metal workshops has already stopped working, rendering 32,000 laborers jobless.

Last month, Israel further reduced shipments of diesel, cooking gas, and food into the Gaza Strip, thus aggravating the deteriorating living conditions to the extent that many motorists were forced to use cooking oil instead of diesel to keep their vehicles running.

“We are a society with no natural resources; the only resource we have is the human one, so unless there is adequate food and health, how are we supposed to develop a nation?” wondered Dr. al-Wahadi. For the time being, it seems this question will remain unanswered.

To read through other recent articles of mine please visit : http://electronicintifada.net/cgi-bin/artman2/search.cgi?action=search&categoryNum=&keyword=rami+almeghari

  5 February 2008

At the bus stop at Palestine Square, in the bustling heart of Gaza City, 25-year-old Said Ramadan cried to passersby, “Fuel, fuel, fuel! Come and buy!”

Gaza’s long-suffering taxi drivers express resentment towards the still comparatively high cost of the fuel brought in from Egypt.

Driver Nidal Darabaih says that a 19-liter tank used to fill up for 90 New Israeli Shekels (NIS) ($25 USD) while these vendors’ rate is at 85 NIS, meaning that the bringing in of fuel from Egypt doesn’t necessarily mean taxi drivers are feeling any economic relief.

A draft resolution was stymied by Israel’s staunch ally, the US, which deemed Israel’s actions to be self-defense rather than punitive measures.

Rami Almeghari is currently contributor to several media outlets including the Palestine Chronicle, aljazeerah.info, IMEMC, The Electronic Intifada and Free Speech Radio News. Rami is also a former senior English translator at and editor in chief of the international press center of the Gaza-based Palestinian Information Service. He can be contacted at rami_almeghari at hotmail.com.

All images by Rami Almeghari.