DREAD IN GAZA AND NORTHERN ISRAEL

By Jake

9 April 2024

A screengrab from a video of the night of April 2 showing Jewish people giving Muslims dates as they walk to al-Asqa mosque for sunset prayers. Remember, there is always kindness in individual acts.

Homes are destroyed, children are orphaned and starved, and hostages suffer under the decisions of military and political leaders. Netanyahu and Sinwar may be opposed ideologically, but their actions result in similar human cost. There is hope - there are many people helping one another across lines of ethnicity and religion, even in light of the IDF killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers this past week. We need to fully face what daily life is like, in order to address it best and pull what influence we can to end the bloodshed.

In Gaza City, bomb strikes and starvation remain the daily challenge. Many locals who resisted the calls to move south months ago feel vindicated in their decision after violence in the south and limited use of border crossings. Basic lack of fuel means that individual ingredients cannot be turned into meals, so much of the aid comes in the form of packed food, like a military MRE. Aid is sometimes seized and resold in black markets at exorbitant rates. Any social media activity is risky, as fears rise that the GPS data of any broadcast will be used for targeting, in line with the more than 100 journalists who have been killed. There is a sanitation crisis, meaning more risk for infection and disease and less capabilities to treat existing cases. Babies are born without anesthesia to the mother and placed into incubators in damaged hospitals and clinics. An entire young generation is being robbed of education and opportunity by Hamas’ violence on October 7 and the IDF’s disproportionate response.

On the other side of the border, Israelis are safer but similarly uncertain concerning their future. Many have a degree of relation to a hostage, and hear daily of the murders and assaults against those in captivity. They are increasingly unhappy with their own government and Netanyahu’s decisions, especially in light of his political scandals before the war. 80,000 Israelis remain displaced from their homes near the Lebanon border after Hezbollah missile attacks. Iranian provocation remains a major concern, as more terror groups are enabled and encouraged to target Jewish people.

People are numb, surviving day to day as new tragedies unfold. They are subject to removed decision-making by those who spend human lives to get what they desire. But in the depths of darkness, there are kind people helping one another, laying the groundwork for a rebuilding period that will come. ONE contributes in our own small way by fostering education and discussion, and we thank you for joining us.

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