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!

Yes. This was a direct response to comments from the UN Secretary General.

It’s horrific. Why are there no voices calling for Hamas to release the hostages and stop firing missiles into Israel? If they hadn’t attacked Israel, or if they had stopped the rockets & released the hostages this wouldn’t be happening. Hamas have betrayed their own people.

How do hostages family feel looking at these pictures coming from Gaza? How do they feel about their government refusing to negotiate?
the Israeli and US governments are war criminals and they failed both sides.
something needs to be done, this needs to stop , so many innocent lives are going to get lost.

I think the risk of full out WW3 is pretty unlikely from at the moment, what is more likely (and IMO equally tragic) is that the Middle East is plunged into a new conflict for many decades to come. The Middle East is a beautiful part of the world, massively cultured and populated generally by the most wonderful people.

And for clarity I do not include Hamas and other terrorist organisations in that! In the same way I do not believe the Israeli Govt speak for all Jews, though I do understand their collective grief and rage (which clearly does not excuse the massacre of innocents).

I agree.

Iranian proxies have bombed US bases in Syria and Iraq, the US have returned the aggression and the Eisenhower which I thought was joining the Gerald Ford in the med is actually heading for the Persian Gulf.

Even with US help Israel cannot fight a war on 3 fronts.

Hamas yes
Not two million civilians
You would think IDF had enough intel to target hamas....

You provoked me
You made me do it
Words of a bully

I said this destruction of Gaza is not about caring about the hostages. The hostages are part of the excuse to bomb and finish off Gaza and the Palestinians once and for all

Is this sarcastic? I can't tell

There is a real and growing concern for journalists in Gaza
Aswell ofcourse that they can't report what is currently happening

My issue is, if the hostages are held in Gaza, dropping bombs might kill them along with Hamas fighters and civilians.
Not a bright thing to do, unless you are willing to pay the price for "covering up" genocide.

said this destruction of Gaza is not about caring about the hostages.

that wasn’t clear.

The hostages are part of the excuse to bomb and finish off Gaza and the Palestinians once and for all

This lacks nuance

Cestlavie- which side are you talking about?

My issue is, if the hostages are held in Gaza, dropping bombs might kill them along with Hamas fighters and civilians.

hostages have certainly died & certainly will die unfortunately

So much horror in Gaza and Israel at the moment. Sometimes I think the world would be better without humans. Other animals don't make such a mess of it.

There was no Hamas terror attack.

seriously…

I think the hostage taking did happen but the real mystery is how did the country with the ‘worlds best intel’ and one of the best security systems not notice the border fence being cut or people parachuting over... They are even reported to have had warnings…
Greater minds than mine will work it out but it seems strange to me especially in light of what we see happening the last 2 weeks.

Butterflies - are you for real? Or a bot? Or delusional?

They won’t but they might listen to the Israeli people - many of whom support a humanitarian pause.