AS ISRAEL gave its strongest warning yet that war in Gaza was imminent, many Gazans were stockpiling meagre supplies and continuing to blame the Israelis and their allies for the crushing two-year siege.
Support for the ruling Hamas administration has not waned noticeably over the past year, despite the ever-tightening boycott Israel put in place when Hamas seized power last June.
However, Israel blames the militant Islamic group for the suffering of Gaza's 1.3 million people, and has been trying to force a revolt of the popularly elected Government.
The siege is now biting harder than ever. Petrol prices have risen to $8 a litre, with car owners given coupons limiting them to 20 litres a week. Gas prices are more than triple what they were in March, and the price of most staple vegetables has doubled.
Despite this, there are few outward signs of dissent against Hamas leaders or administrators. A straw poll of Gaza locals - even in areas where yellow flags of Fatah still fly above the homes - reveals immense frustration, but little willingness to blame the Government. But anger towards the West is palpable.
"I didn't vote for Hamas and I wish they'd just leave," said Azmi al-Baharadi, who runs a mobile phone shop on the waterfront that reeks of raw sewage.
"It's true they do not like criticism here, but they are more open than even I thought they would be, and they did beat us in the elections, after all. The siege is not their fault, and we know this in Gaza."
There are indications throughout Gaza that Hamas has benefited from the boycott, by being able to demonstrate it has stood firm against Israel, as well as the quartet of Russia, the European Union, the US and the UN.
"The whole world hates us," said Hanefah Chamali. "They think Gaza is a zoo and everyone wants to break out and kill everyone around us."
As The Weekend Australian spoke to the Gazan police chief Tawfiq al-Jabr - a one-time Fatah loyalist - a senior Hamas delegation paid a courtesy visit, pledging support with traffic management and community policing. All had been senior members of Hamas's military wing and carried burn marks and sleeves hanging loose over armless torsos to prove it.
"We are now operating at 15 to 20 per cent of our capacity," said Mr Jabr.
"And that's because we cannot afford the petrol for our patrol cars, or to pay salaries. But even with such a disadvantage, Gaza is a much safer place than it was a year ago.
"I have had more than 200 applications from former Fatah-aligned officers to rejoin the police after they left last June," he said. "If Gaza was splitting along political lines, this would not be happening."
The Israeli air force attacked a house in northern Gaza early yesterday believed to be linked to a mortar strike inside Israel on Thursday that killed a resident of a kibbutz. Fifteen people were wounded in the Israeli air attack.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak warned yesterday that a large-scale military operation in Gaza "is closer than ever, and it will likely precede a ceasefire".
__________________________________________________
Je suis un étudiant militant du Vieux-Montréal et je trouve que
Comment by François-V — June 3rd, 2008 @ 2:55 pmc’est vraiment géniale de savoir que Tadamon est en lien avec l’ASSÉ !
que l’ASSÉ ne perd pas son temps avec cette question très importante et imposante,
que cette campagne pourra en effet créer des liens avec d’autres luttes comme la privatisation et le marché mondial de la faim, etc.
Nous allons maintenant avoir une bonne base de mobilisation pour l’automne 08, c’est un sujet choc, bien choisi et que beaucoup de monde a un minimum d’infos.
Enfin je suis content d’apprendre ça, je vais lutter avec eux,
merci et à la prochaine camarades ! -V-
ما تقوم به إسرائيل من حصار للشعب الفلسطيني جريمة ضد الإنسانية
Comment by Mohamed Elomari — June 3rd, 2008 @ 8:30 pmVIVA PALESTINE
Comment by STEVE PALMINPO — June 3rd, 2008 @ 8:43 pmI am pro your efforts without limits.
Comment by Tarif Al Azem — June 4th, 2008 @ 12:52 amPeace that Israel is looking for can’t be one sided; however, all peers should be treated equally where each side has rights; at least human rights, and commitments in order to initiate the peace process.
Comment by Hatem Zaki — June 4th, 2008 @ 5:11 amAll Israeli steps are completely rejected. They have been doing all anti human rights efforts.
Comment by Nabil Abdel Ahad Abdel Baky — June 4th, 2008 @ 6:44 aml’injustice israelienne sera terminé un jour (sans ou avec la force) et ils doivent penser à ce jour là, puisque ils peuvent etre traités exactement comme ils sont en train de traiter les palestiniens aujourd’hui!!!!
Comment by ridha — June 4th, 2008 @ 1:19 pmA voice from Gaza….!!!!!!
Comment by arslan — June 5th, 2008 @ 1:28 ampeople are dieing because of the siege imposed on Gaza. Unemployment is more than 80% yes eighty percent. The annual income of a person in Palestinian territories is about us $1500 and every thing is expensive like the Isrelie cities in spite of the annual income for an Isrelie person is more than us $ 22000 .
Due to that people dont have money to buy their needs, there are no goods in the markets, and if they find them , they are very expensive.
Do you imagine that people in Gaza couldn’t travel for any reason for more than two years,
a right step in the democratic tradition of quebec. salute to the comrades for a world without suffering, poverty and corruption. lets sing for liberty, freedom and justice for people all around the world, from the olive orchards of palestine to the deforested rain forests of amazon.
to the walls that was once a garden
Comment by shakib — June 6th, 2008 @ 1:44 pmspringing from the sands
tilled by all those women who loved olives
in their courtyards now silent,
once the bull dozers roll off
i bear witness to the children
who are growing old in camps
that no wall could crush the hope of palestine
borne of blood, toil and sacrifice
We all support the struggle of Palistanians
Comment by Mohammed — June 7th, 2008 @ 7:48 amAnd all the free people in the whole world support that
I in my role wonder how Saudi arabia dare to invite some of the Israelist rabbies to attend a religious conference
I’d like someone to answer my qustion:
what does the Saudi Arabia government present to the Islamic world
I think this country stands behind the prolems of the Islamic world
Congratulations for having the courage to do the right thing! I hope that all the other student unions will follow your example.
Comment by Smadar Carmon — June 11th, 2008 @ 10:28 am