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!

you are just being obtuse. I ask again you see no difference between NI & England & Gaza & Israel?

That’s actually a different question to the one you originally asked but ok

Is the answer - England couldn’t possibly bomb NI because they’re British that would be mean but Israel can bomb Gaza because, hey, not Israelis?

I agree with you.
Many people don’t believe in things like climate repatriations but our carbon footprint does impact others in poorer countries. Somalia, Ethiopia are severely impacted by climate change drought. Do those lives matter less?

its so complex & Im not sure what the answer is, glib statements that ignore the complexities are pointless though.

Even on a domestic level we can’t grasp it. Obviously a healthier, more educated society is better for all of us but you get the usual benefit bashing completely ignoring socioeconomic factors.

@Reallifelurker It’s not a question. I asked for the differences because I don’t see them. But please tell us all why it is the same circumstances?

Is the answer - England couldn’t possibly bomb NI because they’re British that would be mean but Israel can bomb Gaza because, hey, not Israelis?

I do believe that is how governments tend to act but again I’m open to examples in the West of governments bombing their own citizens?

not a different question.

On a more simplistic level, if your relatives and friends are being being bombed or attacked, you will see the ones doing it as evil.

Because it's a human response to be protective of your own.

There are many many people in the UK in that situation. Of course they are going to react badly to violence.

We need to understand this and say this is an ok response. What is not an ok response is to wish for more violence or to condon violence in response.

Because this should be about de-escalation versus escalation rather than who is in the right and in the wrong.

Cos frankly everyone is in the wrong on some level because human rights have been regarded as inconvenient to geopolitical interests in various ways. And human rights have been politicised to somehow only apply to certain groups when it suits our agenda. Human right increasingly feel like they only apply to a privileged group.

And frankly no one benefits from a war on these grounds.

We can't switch off humanitarian need because it's a difficult subject or because it's 'not our people'. We do though.

I'm not seeing any international leader preparing for this in any way on a meaningful level. It's not a vote winner. So we will continue in a reactionary and destructive way rather than being proactive and recognised we can't just bury our heads in the sand over it.

I’m not sure if it was you or someone else but they said what Israel were doing would be the equivalent of the UK bombing Ireland during the Troubles & again I don’t understand the comparison.

God help them. We are watching genocide unfold.

On a more simplistic level, if your relatives and friends are being being bombed or attacked, you will see the ones doing it as evil.

Its true & that’s one reason given for the rise in far right terrorism.

Cos frankly everyone is in the wrong on some level because human rights have been regarded as inconvenient to geopolitical interests in various ways. And human rights have been politicised to somehow only apply to certain groups when it suits our agenda.

Capitalism cannot exist without oppression & inequality

Utter rubbish.
It seems all anyone has to do nowadays to be antisemitic is to build bridges by talking to 'enemies' or express horror at Israel's behaviour.
I wasn't anti-Israel.
I am now.

It's so boring this self centered desire to draw an analogy with the UK and NI.
The situation is like if the IRA not only wanted change for NI, but if it embarked on terrorist activities because its one end goal was to annihilate the UK.

It’s not a question. I asked for the differences because I don’t see them. But please tell us all why it is the same circumstances?

Because terrorism

I do believe that is how governments tend to act but again I’m open to examples in the West of governments bombing their own citizens?

Yeah, I was open to explanations as to how Gaza can be considered an independent country with its own government/infrastructure but here we are.

Because terrorism

I still don’t see the equivalence?

Yeah, I was open to explanations as to how Gaza can be considered an independent country with its own government/infrastructure but here we are.

You've totally lost me now.

Im not the one who equating the situation in Gaza with the Troubles, I just disagreed. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Do you think all Gazans belong to Hamas?

Do you think all Irish belonged to the IRA?

Tbh it doesn't matter what the objective is.

The problem here is the assumption that everyone believes the same thing and therefore these levels of violence are necessary.

The problem is that when you start bombing people or you start shooting the wrong people on the street you DO become the enemy and it plays to the agendas of people who want certain political agendas. My enemies enemy is my friend mentality. The way that Hamas seized control in the first place owes a lot to this dynamic.

Most people on the street aren't interested in this level of politics. It doesn't matter where you live in the world. People's priorities are a roof over their head, food, water, a job and safety for their family. They will generally support those who do their best to ensure those things. War is for leaders not the led. When you introduce a player who tries to take those basic things away from you, what happens?

The situation in Gaza because of blockades has only aggravated this problem. It means that shortages are a way to control the general population which becomes increasingly dependent on the power that exists - cos authoritarianism.

Let's be clear here: Many people in Gaza are victims of Israel oppression AND the exploitation of Israeli oppression by Hamas to tighten their control and power within Gaza. Some might be aware of this. Others unwillingly go along with it due to a lack of alternative and desperation.

And you are right, Gaza isn't like NI because the IRA didn't have this level of control over citizens. Citizens weren't dependent on the IRA.

Unpicking this mess, needs efforts to separate civilians from Hamas for this very reason. We have to see how power structures are created and work because that's how you weaken them over time.

In terms of de-escalation, the way that NI got to the Good Friday agreement was through appeals to the populace that the violence had gone to far and everyone was tired of it. Normalisation is about stopping saying X and y are totally different and instead pointing out where there is common interest and mutual benefit to stopping. So it starts to win support and momentum builds. And this undermines the terrorism and the leadership of the terrorism.

Offer an alternative.

At present what alternative to Hamas do Gazans have?

You've totally lost me now.

Maybe have a re-read of our earlier exchanges and you’ll get the reference.

I’m also from N Ireland like some others on this thread and I really wish people would stop comparing N Ireland with Israel/Palestine, I understand the temptation but I believe it is a false equivalence.

Trust me, I’m not a fan of the IRA in the slightest (and would have been on “the other side” of that community division growing up in Belfast, hearing the bombs go off in the background while in my classroom, or having to evacuate the city centre on a shopping trip), but the scale and barbarity of the recent Hamas attack, and the extremity of Hamas’s general position/aims is something else again completely. The peace process could never have happened without the IRA being willing to make significant compromises on their stated aims, and Hamas is just clearly not in the same headspace in the slightest and I don’t believe it would ever be as it takes such an extreme position.

This is an article from 2007 but I think it’s very helpful in thinking about why we can’t simply apply the solutions that worked in N Ireland to Israel/Palestine.

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/31/opinion/31iht-edevrony.1.7331274.html

I think dismissing it completely is just as wrong.

It's a very very different situation. But it doesn't mean we can't learn ANYTHING from it either.

Of course we can.

It's not saying it's the same and their are parallels. It's saying there are useful points we can learn from and adapt.

Things that don't relate to Hamas at all but to the civilian population.
.

Maybe have a re-read of our earlier exchanges and you’ll get the reference.

I haven’t seen anything on your exchanges that is clear

https://x.com/davenewworld_2/status/1717940240617255043?s=46&t=7uZ5GLraCHnmbl4o9C79gA

Dont know who the speaker is - Irish parliament? But something everyone should listen yo

Take note of her last sentence
This is a genocide

Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, chief executive of the humanitarian non-governmental organisation Mercy Corps, has issued the following statement in the wake of the widespread communications blackout across Gaza last night:
The last 24 hours of intense and escalating bombardments in Gaza will drastically increase the already horrific civilian death toll from this conflict. We have now lost touch with all of our nearly 70 team members in Gaza amid a communications blackout.

We have no way of verifying their safety or assessing the rapidly deteriorating situation. We fear for our team and for the 2 million civilians who are trapped in Gaza with nowhere safe to go and completely cut off from the outside world …

There is no internet. There is no mobile service. From limited information emerging from Gaza, the blackout means that people can’t call for ambulances, and the limited but critical humanitarian assistance that was still operating will be severely hampered.

We urge a ceasefire now to end the devastating loss of life and protect civilians. We urge an immediate end to the siege and the urgent restoration of telecommunications, electricity and water services …

We fear the further escalation of violence will result in untold tragedy that will be a stain on the global conscience.”

Eye on Palestine Instagram is no longer posting any new content. My daughter was following a number of people inside Gaza, all have gone silent now...

@emilysquest i believe the ground excursion may have resumed
No doubt the morning will bring us new horrors
Last night I saw a video where in the distance you could hear the gut wrenching terrified screams and wails of women from Al shati refugee camp.
This morning the images surfaced of what was left behind

I am the OP, and I posted this yesterday to, hopefully, create a space for all those of us left afraid, speechless! For those of us who wanted to grieve with people, stand with civilians ...

But: this has descended into the exact opposite of what I was hoping to achieve.

I have asked @MNHQ to delete the thread! I have no idea if they will - but in case they do not:

I have not given anyone my consent to engage in senseless "point scoring" on the back of my appeal to our shared humanity!

If it helps at all @HeidiInTheBigCity I've found a couple of links because of this thread. My knowledge has increased and I now have a few women working for peace links to share.

You can sow seeds. Not all of them will grow.

@HeidiInTheBigCity it helps to see there are people who can still think and feel for others. It makes the world feel just a tiny, tiny, tiny bit more hopeful.

Thank you, @MrsTerryPratchett and @Dinkydaisy1!