The Cycle of Violence

June 14 2006
MIDNIGHT IN GAZA CITY

At least I have not heard shelling so far today, but then again it is only six minutes past midnight.

You can reach a point where it does not matter who does what to whom, where the cycle of violence in this conflict no longer has a beginning or an end.

Last Friday a bomb went off on a beach here in Gaza killing a family of seven, the only image anyone will remember is the daughter collapsing and screaming on the sand next to her dead father. The Palestinians claim the shell was fired by Israel, the Israelis in return have claimed that it was from a landmine planted by militants to prevent an Israeli commando invasion. No one will ever know or admit to truth, the people will claim the high and mighty from both sides and blame each other. And wonder why the world has stopped caring, if just for once someone will admit the truth then peace stands a chance.

The world screams for justice for the events in Haditha Iraq, and the actions of the US Marines demanding heads and accountability, but here it is OK to lie and no one will ever face a court and pay for there war crimes. Lying is so endemic that it could pass for an Olympic sport around here.

The Military wing of Hamas, has now announced that the ceasefire from them is over and everything is once again a legitimate target, read this as attacks against Israel will commence and soon.

Israel responded yesterday by launching a missile strike targeting Islamic Jihad members driving along a main road, The first missile struck a wall next to the car carrying the militants and killed one or two of the militants, again counting to two is something that causing everyone to be mathematically challenged.

To rub salt in the wounds of the Israelis who actually missed their target the militants are seen carrying the kytusah rockets away from the scene in the aerial video supplied by the IDF.

Here crowding around the site of an attack is like rubber necking as you drive past a car accident. Only the crowds can swell to hundreds in minutes, and guess what a second missile comes flying in, End result nine civilians are killed and countless are injured as they stand around the wreckage from the first strike.

Just another day in Gaza, 11 dead and the hospital is crowded with injured and maimed, I doubt anyone will care in Israel, yet when the inevitable reprisal attacks happens and nine innocent Israeli civilians die they will demand a fast and dramatic military operation against the Palestinians, and so the circle of death continues.


Israel has turned Gaza into one big prison, and the inmates (all 1.2 million of them) are being forced into riot mode, the jailers need to be careful.

We drove back to the hotel at 3am, the streets were pitch black and empty that is except for the Palestinian Gunmen on each and every corner fully armed, I did not even bother to ask Ibrahim our Producer whether they were Palestinian Security Forces, Hamas Militants, Fatah Militants or even Islamic Jihad Militants on the pitch black streets of Gaza at three in the morning I thought to my myself, just when you think things cannot get any worse in this conflict both parties manage to take two steps backwards.

As a long time Mid East Correspondent who has since left, once commented on the whole conflict and politics of the region, do not hate either side, just despise them both equally.