Image Credit: Mohammed Omer, Rafah Today 2007-02-02.
Clashes continue with 'sounds of bullets and screams of pain and sorrow'
Rafah Today via BBSNews 2007-02-02 -- By Mohammed Omer. Sitting in his chair inside his small shop where he used to sell groceries, Abu Ahmed, age 42 and father of six has closed his store. "I fear to open the doors of my shop now. Bullets from Hamas and Fatah militants shooting at each other are flying all over the place. I really hope this will stop, but this is only because of some hidden agenda and some collaborators who try to find a gap between political factions by interrupting the gunfire clashes."
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Palestinian children carrying posters STOP VIOLENCE during children's demonstration protest in Gaza City.
Image Credit: Mohammed Omer, Rafah Today 2007-02-02. |
And in Gaza City, the same thing. Clashes are going on everywhere. The streets are so bare of people that it looks like curfew. The last incident was the killing of a Hamas member in the southern part of Gaza. Hamas immediately put the responsibility of the murder on Fatah. No doubt, this undermined the fragility of any lull in Gaza's blood shedding.
On Tuesday, Hamas and Fatah factions began to hold their fire as a truce took effect across the volatile territory. The last round of fighting left 38 people dead in five days and many others wounded.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas called for a total halt to the violence. "The past few days were difficult, and everyone paid in blood," he said in Gaza City to the journalists and reporters. "Everyone is facing a difficult test; either we maintain this calm ... or everything collapses again, and then everyone will be held responsible."
Previous truces between Hamas and Fatah militants in Gaza quickly collapsed into new fighting. It appears unlikely the two sides will comply with all the terms of the current agreement, such as handing over all those involved in killings and abductions, stop media instigations and provocation, as well as to take all militants off the streets.
The frightening scenes are almost over, but not totally stable as bullet shots can still be heard in Gaza. Military checkpoints and militants taking positions, as well as presidential guards are still patrolling next to the house of president Abbas in Gaza City and some other military and security compounds.
Late Tuesday, the two sides began releasing hostages - members kidnapped over the past week. Most of the members were not unharmed. Hamas and Fatah gunmen have used prior lulls to prepare for more fighting. The news is spreading that the US donated weapons being used by Abbas presidential guards who was also part of the fight, since they are Fatah affiliated.
On Tuesday morning, the streets of Gaza were calm, as radio stations loyal to Fatah and Hamas played national songs instead of factional music. But again, one bullet and one word can turn Gaza into a nightmare.
Hopes for an enduring truce fell in the afternoon after a Hamas gunman was killed in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. Saudia Arabia has invited both factions for talk in Mecca. Will this bring peace?
On another related front, will the Rafah border be allowed to be opened to ease the tensions or will Israel close the only gate out of Gaza to the world? Is Israel really interested in peace for all peoples or do they prefer hearing warring music in Gaza – the sounds of bullets and screams of pain and sorrow?
Mohammed Omer is a young journalist/photographer in the Gaza Strip. He and his family have a very rough time in living day to day and they have lost much. In October of 2003, one of Mohammed's younger bothers, Issam, was injured and had to have a leg amputated. Later in the same month another younger brother, Hussam Al-Mouhagir, was killed in his home; shot to death by the Israeli Army that occupies and regularly devastates Palestine. These stories are written by Mohammed who knows no peace, only the continued devastation forced upon civilians who have little voice in the world. Mohammed has covered the Occupied Territories for several years. In 2006 Mohammed won the New American Media National Ethnic Media Award for best Youth Voice. Visit Mohammed's Web site, or write to him to get a more complete picture of what is really happening that main-stream news sources rarely brings to its audience. We are proud to feature articles from Mohammed Omer here at BBSNews, his reporting is some of the only original, on the ground reporting available from the Israeli Occupied Territories.
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