We have all heard of Gaza. Sometimes it’s due to the famous Gazian rockets or at others the Israeli bombing, Gaza somehow always manages to stay in the news.
Yet have we ever stopped to consider what the life is like for an ordinary person of Gaza. Is it just the daily bombs or is there something more. There is certainly more to Gaza than just Israeli bombs.
Though going to Gaza would be a suicide for any Pakistani but this is what I was able to piece together from those few lucky enough to have ventured there.
People in Gaza walk to work every morning as there is hardly any public transport; most roads are filled with debris from the routinely Israeli bombing.
After finishing work most head back home and spend the rest of the afternoon with their families, since the Palestinian custom dictates, family precedes all else.
Many in Gaza do other jobs after work as salaries are often inconsistent. Many people didn’t get any salary for a year and a half during political standoff between Hamas and Fatah. A year and a half without pay and we in Pakistan complain about government jobs being low paid.
Freelancing is quiet the fashion for those who do extra work.
After sunset the youth heads off to gym. Oh yes there are gyms in Gaza though for entertainment Palestinians don’t have much choice. Parks, beaches and restaurants are the only means available to them (luckier than Pakistanis if you ask me). There are no cinemas since even if they do build one; chances are it will soon be bombed away by Israel.
Restaurants menus are similar and since Palestine is often cut off by Israel, people have gone averse to diversity.
Parks are small and crowded, though the beaches do provide a breather if they are not too crowded as they usually are during the summer.
There is a severe shortage of electricity hence whenever you walk outside, you’ll hear power generators buzzing as power is available for hardly six hours a day (a very Pakistanish feature).
Ever since Hamas won elections Israel has blockaded Gaza, creating a severe shortage of necessities. People are stuck with rent because there is no cement available to build homes. Many necessities of life including imported food too have become scarce.
Imagine not being able to make chips because there are no potatoes in the market because India has blockaded our country and does not want us to eat to our fill. This is exactly what Israel is doing to the Gazans.
To give you a complete picture of life in the accursed Gaza these are some points:
- Traveling? No way, no airport, no seaport, and the borders are closed. If you try there is a high chance of being shot dead by an Israeli sniper.
- Going to the neighboring Palestinian districts? No, you just can’t. You are forbidden by Israel.
- How about buying an iPhone from Amazon or eBay? Big NO: electronics via mail are forbidden too (by Israel of course).
- How about war? Yes, there is plenty of that in Gaza. Every two years you will witness a war here ensuring that people live in constant fear.
After giving you this brief picture of Gaza, it wouldn’t be hard to understand that the people of Gaza are pretty sick and tired of their situation. These people beg for global community to come out and help them.
What have they ever done to suffer such treatment?
Why is it when Israel bombs Gaza the world bravoes but when Gazans fire rockets in return, they are labelled as terrorists.
Are the lives of Gazans cheaper than the Israeli ones?
The people of Gaza today are being held hostage by Israel. Let’s not forget that it was Israel which took away Palestinian lands and not vice versa.
Those so called proponents of human rights must always remember that Israel tops the list of human rights abusers.
One can just pray that the international community wakes up from its slumber and stop this crime against humanity!
