"Breaking News" Chapter 2

What is more awful than not having your voice heard..?


The Israeli operation in Lebanon started a week ago. The first day, there was equal coverage of events in Lebanon and in Gaza Strip. Starting from the second day, situation got much worse in Lebanon..And is still getting worse than Gaza. However, this change from being the first in news to the second end up taking us to the comparisons that we all go through in different areas of conflict. Such as comparing how bad the situation that you experience or how close were the people killed are to you. Which has the higher or highest number of people killed or injured? And How huge is the destruction by Israel. Here, of course I am talking about Arab News channels that we follow as much as we have electricity power at home. I mentioned earlier that the local news channels in Gaza are doing very well in covering almost all of the stories in Gaza. The second day of operation in Lebanon had put Palestinian stories a little bit out of the main picture of the news. This sounds to be a competition, a negative one, because obviously we compete in how bad our situations are. This is not the point. The Effect that I am concerned about when doing this is important. I mean who watches Aljazeera outside, if we are lucky, will not be able to draw a direct connection between the operation here and there, which is what PM Olmert insists upon doing.
Last night, just like usually , the vessels were shooting at the beach of t middle Areas of Gaza, as the Apache and Tanks were moving slowly into the area from East and West. I clearly heard the shooting from the see (naval vessels) and some distant explosions and shooting. I turned on AlJazeera..Nothing was there to say that there was an incursion in the middle area. And things are getting serious there. Well, there are two points here should be raised, one is the Israel is getting better and better in making you feel that you are fine as long as it is not your street, because "we have targeted operation against targeted areas", in addition; it is much easier, and cheaper to stay away from the operation of a big invasion. The Summer Rains started with more of a psychological war and then an actual one, maybe not as overwhelming as people expected. But it depends where you are, at the end of the day. I am not trying to say that things are Ok, not at all. I am saying that Israelis are very clever in making us feel that this is the usual, that we got used to through the past 5-6 years in Gaza, especially. And you really can't stress out about every single spot of the Strip when there is an operation taking place. It is just Human ability, you cant worry more especially that it has been 5-6 years.
Back to the news. There was nothing on Al-jazeera, because it was a "minor invasion". However, the first day of Summer Rains; there were 4-6 reports on the borders watching every single movement of tanks or supplies brought to the Israeli forces. That coverage was great but was a little bit too much because it just helped, unintentionally, to scare the hell out of Gazans. I will not forget that night, that the reports were coming to describe how many tanks and other army vehicles are being transported to the borders of Gaza when it got under a complete siege. But I will not also forget how many Sonic booms we had that night from the great invention of F-16. I couldn't sleep that night at all, there was no electricity in Gaza at all that day after they destroyed the power plant.
to learn more about the Fighting Falcon visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F16
to learn about Sonic booms..http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=184

I mean by "nothing mentioned" on Al-Jazeera is that there was no "Breaking News" Khabar Aajel!

Summary of today; (From Al Jazeera)
9 killed in Palestine (6 in Al Maghazi Camp- Middle Area of Gaza Strip) and (3 in Nablus in the West Bank)
bulldozers destroyed some buildings for the Palestinian Authority (Ministry of Interior and Security Forces buildings after they were hit a couple of years ago by F-16 in Nablus. The arrested Tens of the members in Security forces ( the ones we thought are accepted by Israel vs. The Hamas force) They were forced to take off their clothes in the open area outside the building. The three men killed the Israelis still keep their bodies..Not wanted to give them back.

Local News;
Tanks on the Eastern road of Gaza were shelling last night and this morning no injuries reported.
Rafah Border reopen for the second day after 20 days of closure. That closure caused in the death of 9 people waiting at the crossing between Egypt and Gaza. Now there are about 10,000 people trying to get in, few thousands came between today and yesterday.

Hope didn't miss much..