[Editor's Note: Our latest update from Sameh comes in the wake of the latest Israeli invasion of Gaza. We get details on the latest situation on the ground, but we also had a chance to discuss in-depth the controversies surrounding humanitarian relief in Gaza, including the BBC's refusal to air an appeal for aid as well as allegations regarding Hamas control of funds.]
[Editor's note: In this latest update from Sameh Habeeb in Gaza, we talk about the conditions on the ground in the Gaza Strip in the days immediately after the Israelis declared a unilateral ceasefire and withdrew all of their combat troops. Regarding the tunnels, Sameh informs us "Israel has succeeded" in shutting down the smuggling tunnels for now. Sameh also tells us about the photos he took which you can find below.]
[Editor's note: We apologize for the brevity of this update, the cellular phone connection in Gaza City is extremely unstable. We attempted to answer some of your questions, but unfortunately very little of the conversation made it through. Not to worry, we will get them in next time for our next full update with Sameh. If you've got a question for Sameh in Gaza, leave us a comment, drop us a line on twitter, or email us at Aliveingaza at Gmail dot com. We ask every single question you submit. If you didn't hear yours this time around, don't worry, we'll get it in next time.]
Life has returned once more to Gaza after the ceasefire, the medical aid teams are still digging for more bodies from under the wreckage of buildings. The number of casualties is still increasing according to the ICRC, and most of the local markets are still closed due to the destruction that happened during the last stage, such as Firas public market and others.
I spoke with my aunt who lives in the southern area of the Gaza Strip (Al-Garara), and she told me that the people living there are receiving the UNRWA aid. The situation is calm there but the Israeli Apache helicopters are still flying over the area.
From the north western side of the strip, I spoke with our correspondent Sameh A, he said “the situation is kind of calm in their area where I live, the life is returning slowly, but some clashes is still happening on sea side of Gaza, there are some sea battles is happening between the Palestinian armed groups and the Israeli cost guards “
So what I am wondering is, will this ceasefire hold for a long time, while the Israeli forces are withdrawing slowly from the Gaza Strip, or will there be another attack from the Israeli forces one more time, or did these three weeks of assault bring peace somehow to the Israeli or the Palestinians?
For another example, today Mohamed Al-Jabaawi was telling me on the phone from where he stands in Heey Al-Zaitoon , that the people are trying to get back the their normal life , although the last bombing is not over completely, one child died today after touching unexploded cluster bomb near the car market in Heey Al-Zaitoon.
For me personally, am thinking of this child who died and still not knowing what the problem is between the Israeli and the Palestine, however bombs cannot distinguish between an Old man Child or a Hamas fighter, or Mortars can’t recognize an Israeli soldier of an Israeli child, I believe we can make the difference, and we can stop saying “am sorry” after killing a child or a women.
[Editor's note: In our latest conversation with Sameh Habeeb, we get an update on the latest ceasefire, the humanitarian situation, as well as the feelings of the Palestinian people on the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama. We also got a chance to ask Sameh some of your questions. Thanks to Jeffrey, Jinjirrie, Ernie Yacub, Abdullah, Ladu, and Tim Jeffries for submitting your questions. If you've got a question for Sameh in Gaza, leave us a comment, drop us a line on twitter, or email us at Aliveingaza at Gmail dot com. We ask every single question you submit. If you didn't hear yours this time around, don't worry, we'll get it in next time.]
[Editor's Note: The following is an audio interview with Alive in Gaza Correspondent Sameh Habeeb and Small World News Editor Brian Conley. Recorded this morning around 7am Gaza local time, Sameh gives us an update on what's happening in his area, as well as answering your listener questions. The disconnect at the end is from telecommunication issues. ]
Download Interview with Sameh Habeeb
BC: Ok, I’m recording on the phone with Sameh Habeeb who is Alive in Gaza right now. Sameh what is the situation like there?
SH: Ok, thank you and I’m happy to be like one of the first to start Alive in Gaza. I’m based now in Gaza City officially in the Eastern part of Gaza City we’re one of the [points of?] the military [?] situation taking place. Now I could hear easily and I could see easily the F-16 and easily the Apache hovering in the sky and [lodus tanks?] and shooting and firing at many targets, I don’t know the exact targets being bombed at the moment, after that we have the artillery machines are being firing into some areas and farms in the Eastern part of Gaza City. Also we have fire from the Northern part of Gaza City, Alatra area and [al-Subbia?] area and many people who are injured in the last 20 minutes the situation is getting hot at the moment to go back to go [in?] Rafah, the Israelis have bombed Rafah City especially the borders with Egypt with around 100 tanks, from the F-16’s, in Han Yunes and [Han Hozaha?] town mid of Gaza Strip. There was [?] which more than 15 people were killed and many accounts and many witnesses appeared on the [cruelty?] and the brutality of this Army that has unleashed dogs on people, that has stolen the medical stuff, medical ambulances and occupied them and they tried to act like medical staff in order to try to kidnap some people. This is what has happened today at the Gaz…
[Cut in recording]
BC: Ok [CUT]
SH: Yeah. Well the situation is always like intensive, the situation is always since the early morning is full of action, is full of Israeli F-16 and Apaches they’re hovering, and now you could hear the bombings from the artillery shells. The early morning the F-16, Apaches and Israeli tanks start to shell in the early morning while the Israeli troops at the moment and especially in the morning try to get into the Gaza City, but still they are into the outskirts of Gaza they are not able to get into Gaza City still due too the heavy fighting with the Palestinian fighters and the resistance who are using many tactics they are not being approachable they have many tactics to fight the Israeli Army and Israeli soldiers who are being trying to get into Gaza City for around ten days and until now they haven’t succeeded at all. This is what the Israelis are trying to do at this moment. As for me I have just told you what has happened. And at this moment the escalation is going on east of Gaza north of Gaza City. This is what I try to report on I just have the news from Rafah [?] the Israelis F16 totally bombed the [town’s?] area resulting in destroying about 30 houses for civilians and injuring many people. Today there was a massacre in [Hozahn?] middle of Han Yunes as the Israeli Army occupied the area east of Han Yunes totally and killed many people and they have used the phosphorus bombs they have used [Cut?] Yes, yes, yes! If you just tune to any radio, sorry, just tune to any, sorry, if you just go and just open the TV from the outside of Gaza you can see the phosphorus bombs, but I have seen these bombs by my eyes and they have used them in they was in my area they was like a bomb that being bombed from the air or from an artillery shell I don’t know the targeting the way they have used but when it goes in the sky it explodes and make like small [balls?] fly like, I don’t know how to describe it I’ve never seen something like that. And many cases arrived into the hospital and I was making some photos and [news reports?] about that about the phosphorus bombs and I met some doctors who told me about that many cases arrived with heavy burns that completely destroyed the bodies and the tissues of the body and it will be just very hard to go even with time many people died from such [?] The human rights watch criticized Israel for that then Amnesty criticized Israel for that and said Israel is using private weapons against civilians. Of course as you know Israel was saying that the aim of this military operation is designed to kill civilians, but what we have seen, sorry, to target militants but what we have seen on the ground they have targeted all the civilians and this was so clear in all the past day.
BC: Ok, okay, sure. Can you tell me some people they’re saying that Hamas is using human shields and is using civilians to protect themselves. What can you say about this?.
SH: Well, we’ve heard many accounts and it’s propaganda outside. There’s no way that Hamas and other fighters use people here as human shields. Everyone is committed to his house basically and no one has left his house except those who were kicked out by the Israelis from the Northern area. And those who were kicked got to the UNRWA schools across the Gaza Strip and one of the schools was bombed by the Israeli Army and at the end of the day Israelis were trying to justify what they had done and said that there was rocket fired from the area where the school was taking place and this is a mere lie and they have bombed many mosques and said that they are being used for weapons despite some of the mosques were like a shelter for some civilians. This is not true, people are here safe and no one can be using them as human shields this is completely false and this is a mere Israeli propaganda to hit the target the civilians and if a big number of civilians will died as what has happened in the death schools and then at the end of the day Israelis will say, “Oh Hamas was using them as human shields.” This is not true, all of those who died they are all civilians. And one of the accounts that we heard, the [Samoni?] family. There was no fighters, nothing from Hamas, nothing from other factions and they have gathered them in one house then they have bombed them despite no militants to take them and like how you say to take them and like [?]
BC: Can you tell us how is your family and is everyone okay with you? You know, how is everything going just for you personally and your family?
SH: You know, I am one of one million and a half families, I suffer what they suffer, I live and experience what they do. We are in bad status. It contains not only the military operation, we are under psychological pressure, we are being trapped and committed to our houses since the start of this war, add to that we have a very problematic situation inside my house in terms of water in terms of food, [beds?] gas, fuel, power communications and everything. Everything in my house as well as hundreds of thousands is like [?] situation. When they need to get some bread they need to wait around 6 or 7 hours in some of the bakeries and unfortunately at the end of the day I would not be able to maybe bring some bread for my family. Even if I need water the water here is contaminated due to lack of chlorine materials to treat this water. Even the [generators?] are not able to [bum?] water for civilians who are living in far and remote areas in the [desert or religious?] areas. Not having water they are forced to buy water and the irony here even if will buy water they will not be able to leave their houses sometimes because it is too dangerous, too hazardous to go outside especially in the daylight. Even those who are being like moved and moving from their houses to bring something in the [night?] they are being exposed to big danger which is being hit from the drones. So we have three main problems, the problem of the ongoing shelling from the air force from the naval force from the ground force, one another problem we have is the problem of psychological fear and trauma and the third problem is the humanitarian crisis. This is applicable for all Palestinian houses and every individual living here in the Gaza Strip. Ok … this is Sameh Habeeb for … Now you can hear the bombings! Now these are the military operations I mean these are the military air force taking place and hitting many areas in the Gaza City specifically in the Eastern part of Gaza City the situation is turning hot again and it seems that we would have an endless fighting this night in which many kind of weapons will be used and I can also hear also the naval forces [intervening?] and some bombs are from the Naval forces are being used with the [distinguished holes?] I hoped this night will be like very light with normal [tending?] On the Palestinian side, this is Sameh Habeeb for Alive in Gaza, Palestine.
[Ed. Submit your questions for Sameh and our other correspondents in the comments below, ask us on twitter, or email us at aliveingaza at gmail dot com]
[Editor's Note: The following is an audio interview with Alive in Gaza Correspondent Sameh Habeeb and Small World News Editor Brian Conley.]
Salam Alaikum Omar,The situation is deteriorating each day inside the Gaza Strip. I cannot find the words to describe what is going on now in Gaza. The shelling is non-stop from the north and east of Gaza.The Israeli troops are slowly approaching the northern side of Gaza, where the Hamas resistance is still on.Today I contacted my cousin Ahmad, who lives close to northern Gaza in (….) Quarter. He said the Israeli troops suffered grave loss, whereas Hamas emplaced a great deal of improvised explosive devices targeting the Israeli forces as they were advancing.As for me, I had to evacuate my house after we heard loud sound of shooting and missiles. We are now staying in an UNRWA-run school. Thank Goodness there is not any Hamas operatives or other resistance members among us in this school, but we do not know what tomorrow is holding for us. This is our first day in school. We have enough food and some supplies that will see us through for a number of days.I will try to contact you again today, or tomorrow morning, God willing. I will most likely get hold of a new battery for my mobile phone. You can call me tomorrow morning at 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. Gaza local Time.God bless brother Omar,Muhammed Al Ja’bawi
السلام عليكم اخ عمران الوضع يتأزم يوم بعد الاخر داخل القطاع,لاتوجد كلمات توصف الحدثالقائم في غزة الان, القصف مستمر من الجهةالشمالية و الجهة الشرقة منالقطاع, القوات الاسرائلية تتقدم ببطئ منالناحية الشمالية لقطاع غزة والمقاومة من قبل حماس مستمرة , اتصلت اليومبأبن عمي احمد و هو يسكنبالقرب من المنطقة الشمالية للقطاع في حي () وقد اعلمني ان القواتالاسرائيلية قد تكبدت عدد من الخسائر في حينان حماس اقمت بنصب عدد منالعبوات الناسفة لاستهداف القواتالاسرائلية عن تقدمهااما بالنسبة لي فقد اضطررت الى اخلاء منزليبعد سماعنا اطلاق نار كثيف ودوي عدد من القذائف, نحن الان نسكن في مدرسةتابعة الى الانوروا , والحمد لله لا يوجد اي من اعضاء حماس و اي منجهات المقاومة الاخرى معنافي هذه المدرسة , و لكن لانعرف ماهو مصيرناغدا , اليوم هو يومنا الاولفي المدرسة , يوجد لدينا ما يكفي من الطعام و وبعض المعدات لعدة ايامساحاول ان اعاود الاتصال بك مجددا اليوم اوغدا صباحا ان شاء الله , وعلى الاغلب ساحصل على بطارية جديدة لهاتفيالنقال , يمكنك ان تتصل بي غداصباحا بي الساعة التاسعة و العاشرة صباحابتوقيت غزةفي امان اللله اخي عمرمحمد الجبعاوي
[Editor's Note: Sameh Habeeb is a journalist who writes http://gazatoday.blogspot.com. We will be cross-posting his reports and hope to have him providing regular dispatches about his experiences directly to Alive in Gaza in audio and text format soon.]
Several untold stories still under the rubbles of Gaza devastation.
The more time this war lasts the more victims fall down, their stories
buried with them. Most of the Gaza Strip plunges into deep darkness
since the start of this war. I find several hardships to send out this
report due to power problem.
Today, a rocket targeted my uncle’s house. My house received several splinters and rocket shrapnel. Thank God, we all safe but I don’t know what will happen next.
This is a new report for the 16th day of Gaza War and the outcomes of
Israeli invasion.
[Editor's Note: This is the first of what we hope will be many dispatches from our first correspondent in Gaza, Mohamed Al-Jabowe. Please leave comments with any suggestions, comments, or criticism. We have just begun working with him and hope to see his skills improve quickly. We understand the situation in Gaza is constantly changing and there are many interpretations. We will work to maintain distance from the subject, but as we will primarily be focused on the lives and experiences of those living in Gaza, we may err. Your comments are always welcome.]
According to our staff member Mohamed Al-Jabowe,
Gaza – The situation is not improving inside the strip, due to the constant bombing by the Israeli Army in the northern and middle areas of the strip. A battle started today between Hamas’ Marine forces and the Israeli Naval forces. The situation here is like a cage burning from the inside. UNRWA aid is not reaching families inside the strip. We heard today on the news that the Israeli government allowed UNWRA aid to arrive to the strip and stated they would not target any of the UNRWA employees. Despite this, we still did not receive any of that aid. We did not have any electricity for quite a long time where we live. We have only one container of gas left, because we stored some in our house, but when this tube is over we will have to cook and heat and prepare our food with wood fuel.
Most of the bombing today were in the northern side of the strip. While am writing this post I can hear the sounds of the missiles and sounds of gunshots from far away. My cousin has a Satellite TV system that works by a Car battery , and what I see now in the news has nothing to do with reality, the loss of life must be more than 800. It’s very difficult to have even one hour without sounds of explosions, and this what I have to post for now.
I will try to send you more information as soon as I have another chance. I have to go back and help my sister with getting milk for her baby. I hope I can make it alive back home tonight, ill keep you posted.
