Gaza has gone dark ... and I am very afraid!

[HeidiInTheBigCity]

Tonight, as Gaza has gone dark, tonight, as Gazan civilians have lost that lifeline that used to be "publishing their cries for help to the Internet, as they were literally dying", tonight, as even that option has ceased to exist!

I STAND WITH CIVILIANS!

Not with Hamas!
NOT with the ultra-far-right Israeli government - out for revenge!

Tonight, I STAND WITH CIVILIANS, as innocent men, women and children are dying, collectively punished, for the crime of having been born in the wrong place, at the wrong time!

Tonight, I STAND WITH CIVILIANS, as the families of Israeli hostages watch helplessly, as their missing loved ones are bombed into oblivion, and their own PM has not even bothered to meet with them! Because, once again, revenge has won! Violence has won! Barbarism has won! Death has won!

Tonight, I stand with my friend, a Palestinian-born [what he does for a living] currently getting drunk at a bar in [not where you'd expect] - because he cannot stand watching anymore! We cried together on the phone - it felt nice to know there was someone else out there - but it also felt supremely disempowered and helpless! Tonight, I stand with men, women, boys, girls ... just people, people who want to live!

Tonight, as I recall how utterly terrified I used to be when I, myself, became an accidental witness to the assault on [Palestinian city], some 20 years ago now! I also recall the good times: I recall standing on the rooftop of the [name] family's home, watching flares in the sky, deliberately pretending they were just very bright stars, kissing, and dancing with my fiancé. Snuggling up to him under the wide open sky, as we ignored the sound of shooting in the background, as we just wanted to ... live a little! ... under circumstances that didn't leave much room for living. For life! Knowing we would learn about names of people we knew and the fact that they had been killed while we had been trying to ... just live a little ... as the following day would break!

Tonight, I stand with civilians, realising that this particular, comparatively "fluffy" version of war - a version, make no mistake, that has left me deeply traumatised for life, bittersweet memories aside! - this is just NOT AN OPTION for Gazans tonight!

Tonight, I CRY FOR CIVILIANS! Especially, but not only, for civilians in Gaza!

We have GOT TO DO better!

Note: yes, I have censored a number of data points - because that is how afraid I am! I am not willing to potentially expose people I consider friends, family even, unnecessarily as I, frankly helplessly, post to the so-called Internet, pleading for their lives or, at the very least: sympathy!

We call that victim blaming.

Oh well @Heelenahandbasket Israel are getting a bit of a bombing right now too

It's all fine, don't worry

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/10/israel-opt-israeli-army-threats-ordering-residents-of-northern-gaza-to-leave-may-amount-to-war-crimes/

On 21 October 2023, the Israeli army dropped leaflets on northern Gaza ordering residents’ immediate “evacuation”. The leaflets warned residents to leave immediately, declaring their lives at risk and explicitly stating that “anyone who chooses not to leave from the north of the [Gaza] Strip to south of Wadi Gaza may be determined an accomplice in a terrorist organization”. The move came one week after the Israeli army had issued an ultimatum warning the 1.1 million residents in those areas to leave southwards.

The Israeli government has literally created hell on earth and sowed the seeds for Hamas and all other terror groups in the region for generations to come. This is what evil looks like.

I find this pov really uncomfortable @JustAMinutePleass do you think the terror attacks in the UK are our fault because of foreign policy? The far right extremists often use a similar argument.

They haven’t bombed “the entire south” though. It’s much quieter than the north. And bombing isn’t a war crime. It’s a war and israel doesn’t have any more responsibility than any other country at war for an enemy territory’s civilians.

many civilians died during the bombing of Mosul to remove Isis. The uk took part in that. It’s awful- war is terrible. But demonising a country defending itself is unacceptable.

Imagine taking pleasure out of that. What an awful person you must be.

Defending itself!

This isn't defending itself, and thankfully not everyone is taken in despite what our governments would have us believe.

@Heelenahandbasket aww bless you!

Let's stop engaging with heartless bots and just keep the innocent civilians in our thoughts. It could have been us, but by virtue of place of birth. There isn't much else different.

The bots are here

I haven’t attacked any children though!

not agreeing with your misinformation about war crimes is nothing to do with compassion. I hate war. But israel must defend itself. To be honest in the long run getting rid of Hamas would be better for Gaza too.

Hate towards Israel isn’t compassion. Quite the opposite

@duchiebun so anyone disagreeing with you is a bot?

you are taking pleasure out of israel getting bombed. How is israel being bombed me “being owned”. How horrifying that people think like that.

That’s the least of the vile names. All because I said Israel had a right to defend itself. Now they are gloating because israel is being attacked (again) and people who I may know and love could be killed.

jew hate really hasn’t gone away

It is wrong
None of us should be advocating for more deaths on either side where civilians are caught up
CEASEFIRE is what we should all be advocating for

You’re delusional as I have been saying the same thing over and over