The Gaza Strip: Israel’s Heroes, Their Enclaves, Their History, Their End, and Their Striking Strikes Back

Israel has retaliated by putting the Gaza Strip under siege, cutting off access to food, water, fuel and electricity for its 2.3 million residents. It’s also carrying out heavy bombardments across the territory, killing at least 1,350 people and internally displacing hundreds of thousands of others.

There is no power. Families are using generators sparingly if they have fuel left — Abuzayda says she can only charge her phone for several hours at a time every few days. They could lose their connection to the outside world at any time, because of the sporadic access to communication.

Many of the fighters who breach those walls are older than Ali, and many of them were born during the second intifada. Unemployment and poverty rates in an enclave of 140 square miles are roughly 50 percent, as a result of Israeli military occupation, siege and devastating military assault. This is the history, and these are the conditions that have shaped so many in Gaza, not a justification. Israel helped create these fighters by starving them of hope, dignity and a future.

Israel intensified their air attacks on Gaza after the recent air, land and sea attack by Hamas which left 1,300 Israelis and 150 other people dead.

Why Israelis and Egyptians Cannot Leave Gaza, or Why Israel Can’t Leave, ‘Case of a Peaceful Interaction”

They can’t leave. We wouldn’t have been able to allow that transit out, Mr. Kirby said during the press briefing. “And so, that’s why we’re so actively having conversations with the Israelis and the Egyptians about a safe passage corridor so that people who want to leave can leave.”

The Biden administration is urging Israel to allow humanitarian supplies into Gaza. It’s also trying to secure the release of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas, which include an unknown number of Americans.

He moved to the U.S. seven years ago, and hadn’t been back to Gaza since. Abuzayda and her husband had been talking all day about when to visit.

“We changed our tickets like three to four times … and then we decided to come to Gaza at this time,” she said. Our short vacation turned into a nightmare.

Abuzayda, her husband Abood and their one-and-a-half year old son Yousef traveled from Massachusetts for what was supposed to be a two-week trip. They don’t know when they’ll be able to go home — and not for lack of trying.

She stated that the windows in their apartment broke because of the pressure of the bombs and the front door broke open due to the constant bombings on Tuesday and Wednesday. She said she had reached out multiple times to U.S. authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Israel but that she had not received a clear answer about what was being done to help them.

They keep posting stuff about the U.S. citizens in Israel. They remind the people in Israel to leave every five minutes.

Major U.S. airlines have stopped flying to and out of the country due to the situation. The total number is unknown, but New York Rep. Mike Lawler said his district alone has “hundreds of constituents in Israel trying to get home.”

The U.S. increased the travel advisory for Israel and the West Bank on Wednesday to level three, or “reconsider travel.” The advice to not travel in Gaza is at level four.

Abuzayda, who is staying at her parents’ house with other relatives, said her sister-in-law and her three kids had tried to cross the Rafah border, but they had to turn back after it came under an Israeli airstrike.

She’s just so scared, so why she’s crying in the front of a large supermarket shelf, so she can’t sleep in the dark

She said it’s not safe inside or outside. The markets themselves are running low on supplies. She’s trying to make the most of the milk and diapers she has left — and keep Yousef not only safe but in good spirits.

“Showing the opposite of your fear is the hardest thing to do, just to make my son feel better,” she said. “Because he doesn’t understand anything, he thinks this is a fireworks. I clap and tell him it’s nothing while I’m crying, but once I tell him it’s fireworks, he ignores me. He jumps and is scared if I’m not next to him.

The Holocaust happened at the turn of the century when Hersh and his friends were camping in Israel, and she was trapped in a hospital

She begged to save them, her voice becoming strained. “Please. I have a one-and-a-half year old, I got him after six times of IVF … Since Saturday, we’ve been trying to call the embassy. Nobody’s helping, nobody’s getting back to us. Please save us.

Hamas terrorists started shooting machine guns at a crowd of young people at an outdoor music festival while Hersh was camping with his best friend. 260 people were killed in that attack. Hersh and his friends escaped by car, but their vehicle was hit by rocket fire. They were forced to go to a bomb shelter. Terrorists then attacked the shelter, blowing off Hersh’s arm from the elbow down by machine gun fire or a grenade or both.

The only thing I know is that this is not the fate that Hersh or any of the captives, among whom are several other Americans, deserves. I am devastated, but the kind words of support pouring in makes this moment even more touching.

I was so sad this morning when I received messages from his friends in Germany that he is a big fan of the Hapoel Jerusalem soccer team. He befriended these German fans over the years when they visited Jerusalem to watch their team play soccer. They painted a peace mural for both Jews and Arabs near our home in Jerusalem, where we have lived since Hersh was 7. Hersh went to Germany with these friends five weeks ago.

The infrastructure, already weakened by a 16-year blockade and four previous wars since 2008, is now being crushed. It’s something Palestinians say they’ve never seen before.

Last night he found himself stranded in the darkness outside the main hospital. It was dark for people to move and there was no fuel for transportation.

What will Israel do? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells the Palestinian people: “What is happening in Gaza right now,” he tells Abu Zarafeh

Many Palestinians disagree with this and I agree with that. But unfortunately, in their homes there are missiles shooting at us, [at] my children, on the entire nation of Israel. He told reporters we have to defend ourselves.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has said this is just the start of what’s to come. The country is ready for a invasion. It’s a reaction that the Israeli human rights organization B’tselem is calling a “criminal policy of revenge.” The International Committee of the Red Cross says the lifeline for Gaza is beginning to fade.

The journalist Abu Zarafeh said his neighborhood is too dangerous to go back to now. He’s lost touch with some of his children because communications were cut off.

There is a conflict between Israel and Hamas. Why are our homes being destroyed by Israel? It is destroying whole neighborhoods?” “You should say yes, Abu Zarafeh.” “This is collective punishment.”

His story is the story of every family in Gaza right now. They fled one bombarded area and were followed by the airstrikes to the next neighborhood.

I thought about where I was going to take them when I took them from the house. Where am I going to hide them? Is there any safe place in Gaza?” he said over a scratchy phone line.

“Everybody is thinking about how to stay alive,” he said. We are all part of this world. We are part of this civilization. Don’t forget us.”

Gaza and Hamas: Resilience to the Israeli War Crime and the Call for Palestinians to Remain steadfast in Your Homes

TEL AVIV, Israel — The fighting between Israel and Hamas entered a seventh day on Friday with fears of a ground offensive growing stronger following an Israeli order to evacuate the northern region of the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s military has warned the United Nations that all residents in northern Gaza must relocate to southern Gaza within 24 hours. The U.N. says it is impossible to safely move a million people within that amount of time. The latest news from Israel and Gaza can be found on NPR.

Israel was on the receiving end of opposition both from Hamas and on the international stage. The U.N. considers it impossible for a movement to take place without destroying the lives of others.

The main hospital is in the evacuation zone and there is no fuel left, making it hard for people to leave.

Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said the Israeli military demanding that over 1 million civilians in northern Gaza relocate to its south, “absent of any guarantees of safety or return, would amount to the war crime of forcible transfer.”

Meanwhile, the Hamas leadership called on Palestinians to ignore the Israeli order. “We say to the citizens of northern Gaza and Gaza City, remain steadfast in your homes,” said Hamas interior ministry spokesman Iyad Al-Bozom, because Israel’s goal, he said was to “displace us once again from our land …”

The Gaza Strip is at a turning point for the U.S. response to the Gaza attack and the Jordan-Israel-Jerusalem conflict

The UN agency for Palestinians said on a social media site Friday that it had moved its operations center and international staff to the south of Gaza.

There’s no clear idea how hospitals and clinics in northern Gaza could be evacuated. Hospitals are already at full capacity across Gaza.

The order also comes as the U.S. ramps up its diplomatic and military support for Israel in the wake of the unprecedented attacks by Hamas that killed at least 1,300 people over the weekend.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to arrive in Israel on Friday, following Thursday’s arrival of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The king of Jordan and the Palestinian president met with a deputy secretary of state in Amman on Friday. He is going to visit five Arab countries over the next few days to try to find a solution to the conflict in Gaza.

As the situation in Israel and Gaza continues to get worse, there are growing concerns that the chaos could spread to the occupied West Bank and various countries in the Middle East.

Militants infiltrated Israel’s border Saturday using paragliders, motorbikes and boats and fired thousands of rockets toward the country from Gaza. They overran a police station and military positions, and a group gunned down revelers at a dance music festival near Israel’s border with Gaza, killing more than 200 people. Others raided gated communities and shot families dead, and Israeli officials estimate they took at least 100 hostages to the Gaza Strip.

At least 27 U.S. citizens were killed in the Hamas attacks and 15 Americans are currently unaccounted for, a White House spokesperson said Thursday. Charter flights to evacuate U.S. citizens who remain in Israel will begin Friday. Other countries, such as China, France and the United Kingdom, have also reported citizens killed or missing in the conflict.

The Up First Podcast: Israel warns Gaza’s civilians to leave: Scalise drops speaker bid for the House Speaker job after 24 hours in Colorado

Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.

House Republicans are back to the drawing board after Rep. Steve Scalise dropped out of the race for House speaker just 24 hours after being nominated.

A white police officer was convicted of manslaughter and assault in the death of a Black man, by a jury in Colorado. The 23-year-old died after police put him in a chokehold while he was walking home from a convenience store. Another officer was acquitted. (via Colorado Public Radio)

Regina G. Barber, NPR’s scientist in residence, loves black holes. The scientists are researching the dense space objects. One scientist shared some valuable life lessons from black holes.

Source: Up First briefing: Israel warns Gaza’s civilians to leave; Scalise drops speaker bid

What Do You Need to Know Before You Get There? A New Perspective on the State of Israel’s Tourism and Economic Development with The Fall of the House of Usher

If you’re a fan of binge-watching, The Fall of the House of Usher is a good choice. It’s a modern take on several works by the famous author.

For those looking for a good book to read this year, I suggest reading a winner of the Kirkus Prize. You’ll find themes of history and community in each novel.

The composer will perform at Carnegie Hall in December. She talks about how she draws inspiration from her native Puerto Rico.

Due to the conflict and death of people, many airlines canceled flights to Tel Aviv and prevented foreign visitors from returning to Gaza and Israel.

Tourism is a steady share of Israel’s economy, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. In 2019, it directly accounted for 2.6% of the country’s GDP and 3.8% of total employment. With COVID-19, it dropped substantially as borders closed. As of 2023, the country was still struggling to fully rebound from pre-pandemic levels.

The biggest and busiest airport in Israel says it is still working as planned. As Israelis return, flights into Israel are still allowed.

Delta is canceling all its flights to Tel Aviv in October. American Airlines has suspended operations to and from Tel Aviv through Dec. 4. United has also canceled direct flights.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters earlier this week that there are “viable ground routes” for Americans if they wanted to leave Israel that way.

The Israel’s Ministry of Tourism states that there are limited hours for some border crossings. The agency is providing assistance to those who need it and is operating a hotline via WhatsApp for tourists to stay informed as the situation in Israel evolved.

It is free transportation from the south of Israel to and from Tourist Israel starting on October 15. Shuttle rides to Jordan can be paid for.

“We’ve had 850,000 alumni that are calling their Israeli friends and anyone they know in Israel asking them how they are, if they can help them, what they need,” Bauer said.

She said that Israel has had wars in the past and that Birthright Israel has never stopped any trips.

She said that the conflicts in the past are not as different as this one. It’s not certain how long this will take.

From Gaza to Palestine: A U.S. citizen’s warning to stay with family and to leave when Israel calls for 1.1 million people to evacuate

Fares Abufares, a U.S. citizen, traveled to Gaza from his home in New Jersey to visit family. He cannot leave, but even if he could, he said he would not abandon his relatives.

Each day this week, she has been waiting for word from her father, Fares Abufares. He went back to Gaza early in September to visit relatives.

Mr. Abufares is using his US citizenship to stay with his relatives in New Jersey, and he’s calling his children back in New Jersey whenever he can get electricity. During a video call with them on Thursday, Mr. Abufares, 50, described seeing the bodies of dozens of women and children killed in an airstrike blocks from his family home.

“Sometimes I have the hope and faith that I will make it out alive,” she said on Thursday. She wondered if it was our turn tonight after the darkness hit and the airstrikes got heavier.

On Friday, she said her family had moved south after the directive from the Israel Defense Forces. She stated in a text message that the family they were with had let them in.

A large amount of people in the US identified as having Palestinian heritage in the 2020 census is seen as a significant undercount due to longstanding challenges in counting the number of Americans of Middle Eastern and North African descent.

Palestinians in the United States were already worried about the situation and were frustrated by statements in recent days from government officials, universities and employers that expressed sympathy for Israeli casualties but did not mention Palestinian casualties.

Source: Gazans Flee to South as Israel Calls for 1.1 Million People to Evacuate

The “Gazans Flee to South as Israel Calls for 1.1 Million People to Evaluate” by Ms. Okal

On Tuesday, her parents tried to go to Egypt but couldn’t because of the border crossing shutting down. They are now moving from apartment to apartment as evacuation orders are given.

We are trying to contact the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, but all they can give us is that there is no information about when the border will open. Maybe, she said of the U.S. State Department, “that’s not what they care about right now.”

She claimed that she and her siblings had filled out forms. “My parents are over 60 and they’re really scared. I just want their safety and I want them to come back to us,” she said.

Ms Okal and her three children were at the border when the bomb went off. The area where they were staying was also bombed. They moved into her sister’s apartment, Mr. Okal said.

She is at the border. They just need to open the door so they can cross over,” he said. I am worried that my wife will die before they leave.

He asked them to treat them like they were American. He said that they are good citizens as well as American citizens and that they pay taxes. “I just want the government to treat us equally and care more, a little bit more.”

Source: Gazans Flee to South as Israel Calls for 1.1 Million People to Evacuate

Israeli Border Police Search for a Hamas-Infanted Car in the Aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2002, Explosion

Duaa Abufares wanted to try to help her father leave, but even if there were a way, Mr. Abufares has told his children he does not want to abandon his mother and other relatives as the violence seems poised to escalate.

Rania said she had been frantic this week, fielding requests from people with relatives in Gaza and staying in touch with her own contacts. The scariest moments came when people went dark, and it was unclear whether they were without electricity or if something terrible had happened.

Israeli authorities evacuated civilians from Sderot and other areas along the Gaza border after Hamas militants launched an attack Saturday that has killed more than 1,300 people in Israel.

A short drive away, the carcass of a car sits next to a grocery store. The police station was destroyed by Israeli tank fire in the area where police officers were killed by Hamas.

Efi Menahem, the sergeant of a special forces unit of the paramilitary border police, says he killed Hamas men next to an Israeli home. He says he saw the corpses of Israelis with no heads.

Naomi Galeano, a medic with the United Hatzalah volunteer rescue service, spent the afternoon of the attacks driving past the carnage of bodies, looking for anyone still alive.