From Gaza, with Love

i could not travel -borders still closed

2009-10-17T07:58:00.002+02:00

this is my talk for the Arab Women Association -in London , i couldnot deliver the speech in person , as the borders are still closed and i could not travel ,
i send you my love from Gaza , and sorry for not writing regularly , iam very busy here and soon i will announce , very good news for all of you who supported my efforts to get the MRI for Gaza patients!
from gaza with love
Mona

Dear all
Thank you for your presence today ,thank you for the great support you show for the Palestinian people and specially for Gaza .
While addressing you from a distance, and being unable to cross the borders, like many of us here in Gaza ,who try everyday and fail, I feel strongly of the injustice that has been imposed on the Palestinian people since Israel was founded 1948, where big ethnic cleansing process took place and Palestinian people were made refugees ,
it is not only Gaza and the siege , it is the occupation with its practices against all the Palestinian people in Gaza in the west bank and the Diaspora.
The injustice continues and the resistance and steadfastness will also continue
Life in the Gaza Strip continues. It must. But the continuing effects of the closure,
And the visible reminders of trauma (15%of Palestinian children suffers from the severe post traumatic stress disorder ) and devastation make normality – even by
The standards of the Gaza Strip – an illusion; the reminders of tragedy are ever
Present, and all too real. , over 9 months after Israel’s
Declaration of a unilateral ceasefire on 18 January, the Gaza Strip is locked in
Stasis: the situation in Gaza remains exactly as it was on the day the offensive
Ended. The visible scars of the offensive remain, rubble continues to litter the
Streets of Gaza, thousands are homeless; families are forced to live in houses
With scorched interiors, blood stained floors, and bullet riddled walls. In some
Instances, victims are forced to look at the discriminatory and offensive graffiti
Scratched into their walls by Israeli soldiers.

The siege has directly contributed
To a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Today, nearly 10 months
after Israel’s declaration of a unilateral ceasefire, the Gaza Strip remains in limbo;
although the offensive has ended, the occupation continues.
The closure, which includes a blockade on goods and materials, makes
reconstruction and recovery impossible. Civilians cannot rebuild their homes;
families are forced to remain in camps, with relatives, or in rented accommodation,
for as long as the closure remains in place. The 600,000 tonnes of rubble littering
the Gaza Strip cannot be cleared. There is not even the concrete with which
to construct a tombstone. Palestinians cannot enter or leave the Gaza Strip.
Patients continue to die because they are denied access to medical treatment The economy continues to contract. Today, there are ever-increasing levels unemployment, poverty, destitution, and despair; unemployment now stands at
60%, while approximately 80% of the population now lives in poverty.

The emergency health services in the Gaza Strip are in a state of imminent
collapse due to shortages of electricity, medicine and other vital, life-saving
Equipment. Due to a lack of available services in Gaza, many patients are forced
to seek medical treatment abroad. However, the closure makes accessing external
Treatment a near impossible task.
,
to date, at least 391 patients have died as a direct or indirect result of the closure. In addition
much of Gaza’s population does not have adequate access to safe drinking water,
as the pumps which supply water are unable to run due to the electricity cuts. every day the power cut off at least 8 hours .
Even basic foodstuffs and goods are in short supply; mainly families are forced to
Rely on food aid supplies by the Unrwa and othe raid organizations.

I address you while feeling and living the daily pain , Grieve and deprivation of 1.5 million, people living under the siege and the occupation , women, men and children and specially women, who has to cope every day with a abnormal life in a big open prison called Gaza ,
And shows everyday a great deal of steadfastness and resilience, all sorts of Palestinian women , working class , teachers doctors nurses farmers etc.. those women work at home and outside with no sense of economical , social or personal security ,

in Gaza everybody has a tale of profound greive to tell but people also determined to overcome pain and rebuild their lives , it is an extraordinary way of determination to continue with their lives despite of all the odds

Your help your humanitarian support will enables us to continue and never lose hope of the future , your support let us feel that we are not alone we are not forgotten we are not abandoned , while the governments are silent and there is no real progress on the political level .

In the name of my colleagues at the board of Red crescent society for Gaza strip I thank you for organizing this event I thank you for your generous donation and support , I thank you for your continuous support for the red crescent society , your support that enables us to continue and improve our health and social services and programmers for thousands of beneficiaries every year ..

Our daily struggle against the occupation , and despite of the siege in Gaza and the wall in the west bank ,this daily resistance and struggle , cannot be separated from international struggle against injustice and towards a better world for its citizens free from all sorts of injustices and exploitations , built on equal rights for all,

Together we can make it Thank you

Homeward Bound

2009-07-24T10:08:00.002+03:00

Homeward Bound: Gaza in 24 hours

As soon as I arrived home I felt a great relief, if that is the right word. I had been unable to return home to Gaza since before the 23 days of bombing of Gaza earlier this year, because of the ongoing siege. I am not sure that the word relief summarizes my intense and conflicting emotions. Mixed feelings of relief, happiness, but also disorientation continued to overwhelm me. Gaza my beautiful home, yes my beautiful home, my beautiful people, who are trying so hard to live. To continue from one day to another. Despite the odds, the hardships, the deaf ears of the world.

The same day of my arrival home, July 9th 2009, I could see from my balcony the rubble of what had been at one time Arafat's headquarters, The whole building was completely demolished , leveled to the ground, blowing out the windows on one side of my apartment building. It is the same place where one my cousins was killed in the first day of the attack assault against Gaza last December -January.

I now see a different Gaza, and it is not the Gaza I have known, it is like a city after an earthquake.
Many of the historically important buildings were leveled to the ground. I decided to postpone my field visits to the different areas where the assaults were the most savage and brutal. I thought it might be a good idea to wait for the arrival of the delegation of US citizens who were due to cross the border.

In the meantime, I met some dear friends and workmates who came to say hello. All of them were loaded with war stories and the panic they faced during the attacks against Gaza. One friend who was a political prisoner, who spent 15 years in the Israeli jails said to me, "I never felt afraid of anything there like the fear I felt this time." I find it strange to even write this sentence, but while we Palestinians are determined to continue our struggle, the reality is that this assault against Gaza was severe and fierce, and cannot be forgotten- we will feel its effects as a people for a long time.

Our friends from the US were only granted visas to visit Gaza for 24 hours. As I waited, I pondered 'How can we condense or begin to understand what children, women and men went through during 23 days of the assault in a 24 hours visit?'

Upon the arrival of the VIVA PALESTINA USA delegation, I sat at the borders to receive the delegation with some colleagues from PNGO ( Palestinian Non Governmental Organizations' Network). It was a touching and affectionate moment for me, to see American, British and French activists of different ages and ethnicities united under one goal, voicing to the world "Gaza you are not alone, you are not forgotten, despite the shameful stand of the governments of the world, we stand with you, the people of Gaza!"

We had to get immediately to work, and were fortunate to have a solid team of colleagues. I was accompanied by Barbara Lubin, Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) Director, Reem Salhi, an activist lawyer and human rights advocate, Danny Muller, a MECA volunteer, Travis Wilkerson, a filmmaker and professor, Jaiel Kayed, a computer expert and Palestinian American, Talal Abu Shaweesh,, director of New Horizons,Ehab Musalaam a trainer and meca voulnteer, and Mohammed Magdalawi, a Gazan student and MECA volunteer.

In Nussierat refugee camp, we were invited by New Horizons to see the activities of their project, loosely translated as 'Let them Play and Heal,' a program treating childhood trauma sponsored by the Middle East Children's Alliance. We had the chance to see hundreds of children's happy little faces, singing along with the debka performance, which was one of many activities working to help the children recover after the war trauma. There were around 500 kids ,6-12 years old boys and girls with their mothers, as the project targets mothers and their children,

We then visited Albureeg School, where MECA has implemented water purification and desalinization systems to provide clean drinking water for schoolchildren. This is one of three water treatment projects MECA has recently implemented in the refugee camps, and we aim to build many more with the help of our friends and allies. We then moved to the north and while the van was going on, we could clearly see many demolished homes everywhere, and tent cities around the homes where families now lived. The tents

We could not miss the Zaytoun area, where one of the many tragic events of the war occurred at the home of the Samoni family. The van went through neighborhood after neighborhood, through areas of vast destruction. How can I convey to you what I have seen in the little faces, eyes of sadness mixed with hope and excitement? On top of that some of the kids who had broken or missing arms and legs, post operative scars, who are living in the rubble of their former homes, and with their little voices they tried to tell us their stories.

I listened to their stories. I stopped writing about the rest of our activities, the rest of our day, the rest of my return home. At that moment I felt, and still feel, 'I don't want to hear or listen, I just want to cuddle these children and help them to forget.' But I want the world to remember what was done here in Gaza, and that those of who are picking up the pieces, as hard as we try, we cannot forget.

Gaza From a Distance, But on the Horizon

2009-07-07T19:33:00.000+03:00

July 7, 2009

By Dr Mona El Farra

It has been too long since I have been in contact with all of you. During this time, I have been incredibly busy and my situation has been constantly changing. Traveling between England, where my children live, and Cairo, where I have been fundraising for an urgently needed MRI machine, leaves me watching Gaza from a distance. However, I have had daily contact with my friends and colleagues in Gaza, and have also been visiting Palestinian patients from Gaza in Cairo. Listening to their stories and firsthand accounts reminds of the tragic reality for my people.

It is hard to believe that the cardiovascular and cancer patients in Cairo from Gaza are the lucky ones. I have to stop for a moment to recognize what it means to be Gazan: that we refer to some who are terminally ill as the lucky ones. Very few succeed to cross the border of a siege imposed with the help of Egypt, but dictated by Israel and the US, while the vast majority must stay behind the bars in the prison that is Gaza.

With broken heart, I watch the sluggish dialogue between Palestinian factions. We live and suffer under the occupation, and the lack of unity makes the problem of living under occupation more complex. By staying divided, we are giving to Israel a golden gift-we know they are no partner in peace, and their first rule as colonizers is to celebrate any divisions, and then conquer

Today however, I am inspired to meet with 198 activists of all ages, ethnicities and political backgrounds, many from the United States, united in one idea – Viva Palestina, Live Palestine! United to pass a message of solidarity – that you, Palestine are not alone, you are not forgotten. Justice will prevail. We, a humanitarian convoy of medical aid, will cross the borders in the coming days, on a 2nd humanitarian mission to share in the struggle of the men, women, and children who live under this unjust siege and embargo.

I will continue to challenge myself to write more frequently, and I challenge you to support our work by becoming involved and making a donation to humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. Visit www.mecaforpeace.org. Viva Palestina!

Dr. Mona El Farra is a Palestinian physician who lives in Gaza and is a Project Director for Middle East Children's Alliance. She cam ne reached for mona4gaza@yahoo.com.

MRI Appeal for Gaza

2009-07-07T18:18:00.000+03:00

June 29, 2009

Dear all

The already deprived health services in Gaza have deteriorated to unprecedented levels. The strictly imposed Israeli/Egyptian siege on the population creates a severe lack of proper health facilities, especially on the secondary and tertiary levels; and the recent Israeli assault against Gaza has made it extremely difficult for the health providers. Medical care providers in Gaza are forced to try to make the balance between emergency services and routine health care services but without the necessary equipment and capacity.

The rate of malnourishment among children is steadily increasing in Gaza, as is the psychological trauma and its ongoing impact on women and children. These are just two of the many dire outcomes of the siege and the military attacks which have caused rising inflation at the same time as unemployment soars.

The number of patients who have died because they were not allowed the basic right to seek medical care outside of Gaza has surpassed 400. Gaza, including its health care system, has been isolated from the rest of the world.

As a response to this isolation, economic hardships, and the deteriorating health situation, the Red Crescent Society for the Gaza Strip recognizes the importance of adding an MRI machine to its diagnostic center in Gaza. This additional quality service will be the second one in all of Gaza. And the Red Crescent is committed to making MRIs available to patients at a very low cost and at no cost for patients who cannot afford any fee.

Around 2000 people per month will benefit from this highly sophisticated and needed diagnostic procedure. Many of those patients will get the right diagnosis at the right time, as timely medical diagnosis is the first step in effective health management.

This diagnostic procedure will be able to diagnose different kinds of health problems, which are too many to list, but include early stages of cancer, neurosurgical cardiovascular ,and orthopedic diseases.

The cost of an MRI machine is $1.2 million, which includes staff salaries and site preparation. The Red Crescent Society has secured $650,000—more than half the total cost—through generous donations from individuals who have continually supported our services and trusted our role in the society through the years.

We appeal to you to help us to reach our goal and to make this strategic and developmental project a reality for our Gaza patients.

Yours sincerely

Dr. Mona Elfarra

Red Crescent Society for Gaza Strip

PS: For more information please contact us to provide you with the detailed proposal of the project .

letter from my friend , S. Robins, constructive plastic suegeon inside gaza

2009-01-30T13:07:00.002+02:00

GAZA - 28th of january
NO COMMENT

hi, what to say? the aftermath of the massacre leaves destroyed families and buildings, no sign of cement coming in, rafah still intermittently closed, many patients transferred to egypt and lost into black hole of buearocracy and families cannot trace. medical staff and people still shellshocked although cars and people on the streets again but all people have the memories of the events of 20 days bombardment, charred bodies and probably no family is intact. we visited a number of homes where people often children sit with legs in plaster, dressings on multiple wounds not sure what happened and what is going to happen as the medical services probably did break under the strain and now only with all the visitors is there an ongoing care. medical staff here need time off but still sit in clinics trying to cope. Money will no doubt pour into the system now but unless there is some justice over the use of unconventional weapons on a civilian popultation so the extent that almost every street had bits of phosphurus mixture that kids play with to make it ignite 20 days later in some cases. That also needs clearing up safely particularly as rain water or heat of the summer could reignite these remnants. children are already getting fingers and faces burnt as they play with remnants in the streets. reports will come out but all effort must be made to bring some justice to the palestinian people.Phosphorus and possible other materials used may also have a later carcinogenic effect. I am ok and being accompanied by Greek and Uk colleagues some of the time which is good when seeing and hearing about these events. such weapons should not even be produced for any use. there are also very disturbing reports of executions by il ground personnel. no wonder il has done its best to keep all journalists and foreigners out as long as they could and for most of the war and still making it very difficult for entry with egyptian beaurocratic help even to deciding that a psychiatrist was not 'medical enough - not needed' in thi situation and therefore not allowed in. knowing when to leave will be difficult as it will take many years and perhaps never for all the physical scars and rebuilding to be done as well as the unseen psychological ones. but much will be healed and helped if there is some justice here. without that the physical scars on the bodies and buildings here may be patched up but the deeper psychological ones will remain without the healing salve of some restorative justice.the picture is as it says - the american school in gaza targetted by il probably with munitions from usa. what an education we are giving here.

ps there is a photo of the detroyed American school building , i couldnot send i will try later on with some othe rphotos from friends in Gaza
love
mona

Gaza needs many years to heal

2009-01-23T22:48:00.001+02:00

Hello friends

I am still in Cairo. With a sad heart I am watching home from a distance. The hardest days were when I went to the Rafah Crossing point. I was only one kilometer away from Gaza, but could not enter. I was told that as a Palestinian with dual nationality, I can get in but not out.

While at the border I was greatly touched by the expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people. I met doctors from Bahrain, Yemen, Egypt, Greece, Turkey and many other countries who came to help the people of Gaza in defiance of Israel’s savage attacks on children, women, and men. We must all work on continuing and expanding these solidarity efforts on different levels. We cannot let Israel get away with its crimes against humanity in Gaza.

I want to thank you all for your solidarity as well as for your practical support. Whether you donated one pound or thousands of pounds, your support and your continuous protests let the people of Gaza feel that they are not alone and will never be forgotten.

I am still in daily contact with friends, relatives, and fellow doctors back home. And I conveyed to them your messages of support and solidarity. I also visited dozens of the injured who were transferred to Egyptian hospitals. They are in great need of rehabilitation after their wounds heal.

I want to share the results of your concrete support for Gaza:
3 ambulances
20 tons of medicine
30 tons of powdered milk and fortified baby cereal
50 wheelchairs
Thousands of coloring books and crayons for kids
Thousands of meals handed-delivered daily to displaced families taking shelter at UN schools

I thank you all, with a special thank you for the teams of volunteers in different areas of Gaza who worked under fire to meet the needs of our community, and for the emergency workers who worked tirelessly to reach the injured and dead. Time is gold in saving lives but Israel deliberately delayed and shot at emergency vehicles leading to the death of 15 emergency workers and countless Gazans.

The 22 days of Israeli attacks on Gaza was just one episode in a long line of catastrophes for Palestinians. Our struggle for justice and freedom continues.

Gaza Update

2009-01-08T08:15:00.002+02:00

8th of January -13th day of the Israeli Tttack against Gaza

720 are killed
including :-
215 children
89 women
12 1st aid health workers

more than 3000 are injured many with serious injuries

11 ambulances were attacked and destroyed while on duty

health workers are not allowed to evacute many of the injured ,in many occasions
the medical teams face new sort of burns , thier is a possibility that israel uses white phosphorus against civilians ,INVESTIGATION IS NEEDED AT ONCE .
health teams in Gaza need to be assisted , as they are overwhelmed with the increasing numbe rof the casualities and lack of supplies and electricity ,
new born babies inside the hospitals are under great threat , due to power flactuation in the special care baby units SCBU

43 were killed inside one of the UN schools , were those fleed to the school ,as thier homes were under heavy shelling or destroyed ,the Un asked for immediate investigation and denied Israeli claim of the presenc eof armed men inside the school

no electricity in Gaz a
80%of areas have no water , due to the destroyment of the infra structure , due to the heavy shelling
70%of tleecommuniucations are destroyed too

yestreday Israeli army allowed 3 hours of ceasfire , so the civilians can go to get thier supplies
,but there were no enough bread , vegetables , meat , grosseries and no cash with the population , and thousands are homeless!

thousands of Rafah citizens at the moment are homelss, have been evacuated , and thie rhomes were demolished at the southern part of rafah on the borders ,.

iam indirect contact with my fellow doctors in gaz a, but may be i will lose this contact soon ,as the communications is getting less , and this will lead to real catastrophy on the level of evacauting of the injured

PRAY FOR US this is usual messege i recive from friends , neibghors and relatives in Gaza

thank you all for your solidarity , friendship , and humanatarian concern

Gaza Updates

2009-01-04T23:15:00.002+02:00

Dear Friends
I have no words
No comments, as you know iam not in Gaz aat the momet , but all what i hear, from friends and relatives are ,Horrible news

here is Sameh habeeb Blogging from Gaza

Day 9 of Israeli War On GazaNews Report Ground Military OperationBy: Sameh A. HabeebBreaking News: Five Palestinians killed in a bombing targeted Mus'abBin Umair mosque northern Gaza Strip.Breaking News: Five Palestinians from one family "Bakr" killed west ofGaza City. The mother was killed along with her 4 children in F16rocket.Breaking News: Around 17 peoples killed in Al atatra family in Baitlahia town north of Gaza. Amongest them several children, twobrothers, 20-year-old and many old men who were all killed by onerocket. Israeli tanks prevents ambulances from reaching wounded peoplein the same place. Among the recognized victims; Osama sliman, MueenAbu aljdya, Ahmed Abu sltan, Hamaoda Abu sultan, Ali Al sous,Muhammad Al atar, Ahmed Tantish and one from Al shalfooh family.Breaking News: Three paramedics and ambulance staff killed by anartillery shell and F16 rocket near Shikh Ejlin area. The paramedicswere in a mission of rescuing a family hit near Al mahrosa hall. Thefamily still bleeding and no news coming up about them till thismoment.Day 9 of Israeli War On GazaNew Israeli weapons are used, death toll up, ground operation to startDear Editors, Journalists and Friends,The ground military operation started 24 hours ago. Below is a newreport for the 9th day of Gaza War and the outcomes of Israeliinvasion. For more reporting, breaking news, interviews and accountsin Gaza, you could reach me on my contact info below. Please try bothnumbers below because there is a big problem in communication resultedin Israeli power cuts.I'm available 24 hours for media coverage in occupied Gaza. You couldreach me any time in my house. welcome to call me on this number in the night:: 0097282802825blogging from Gaza
may be will keep you updated as iam not there at the moment

messege from Mohammed in Gaza

2009-01-04T14:12:00.002+02:00

Events in Gaza. Add By:Mohammed Fares El Majdalawi
this is the messege i have recived from mohammed magdalawi, he live sin Jablia In Gaza, There are holocaust and killing Four hundred martyrs and about two thousandinjured by Israeli air raids.I want to write about suffering of my people and my family in these days In my house we can't get basic needs such as, No foods, No bread ,and Natural gasYesterday , my father went to bakery from 5 AM he waited 5 hours even get one Abundle of bread.This bread not can't enough for my family because consist of 11 members .But today Igo to all bakeries. I can't find any loaf of bread due to be closed. We and my family cannot communicate with our relatives and friends because of thelack of the connecting network also every hour we have a martyr or even more becauseof the raining missiles on our homes , mosques and even hospitals ,There is no safeplace we can go to.In the day our life concentrated in burial of the martyrs who were thousands inhospitals after a short farewell or even without a final look because of the timeshortage those martyrs are graved in groups imagine that a group of martyrs gravedin one grave.At night our camp like ghosts city no sound but the sound of the various militaryaircrafts in every attack our heats and the children hearts is shaking. There is a horror in every minute and it is clear especially on the children, forexample, there was four sisters in one family killed from the Israeli occupation,when stay in their home, and there is children in the south of Rafah.Also, A woman was going to the bakery to buy bread for her family when she waswalking in the street killed the Israeli occupation.I have two message to the world.My message to the lovers of peace and freedom in the world.The First message:Imagine your life is no electricity ,destroyed homes , voice missiles of the day andnight , and no food. Imagine your children and your family tell you we are afraid of the missiles cannot sleep from the Voice of the aircraft. Imagine you and keep the commentary.The second message:Make to end the siege and stop the killings and demolition of houses for ourchildren and to provide assistance to the people through rallies, sit-ins.Finally, I invite you to come to Gaza and see the Holocaust. With Best Regards :Mohammed Fares Al Majdalawi Film Maker and Social WorkerGaza strip _ Palestine mobile :00972599497897_________________________________________________________________Show

if you want to donate now for the Plestinian women and children

2009-01-01T20:51:00.000+02:00

another shipment of medical aid toGaza.

Please makea contribution now (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001mTGlDM90pyTOSf2hSx55wBl4Ddwwmc1HcUteZRAUK1R1oGDO3m5ckUB3i0QbVtvqj3EtV7rD9tyLrdTKuWRHrRlh563nNI1gZUf2VGpqtQAbvXu-4QioVIVbaew-kDkSV3SGUijE5gxFKlES-3YWcrHjmuSlNlN2) for the children ofGaza whose health and lives are at stake.

While we watch in horror as Israel's bombskill and maim children in their homes andtheir schools, we can do somethingthat will truly make a difference.

Dr. El-Farra, all the people she works within Gaza, and the thousands of families theyserve, join me in asking for your support atthis terrible time to help save thelives and health of thousands ofchildren.
Sincerely,BarbaraLubinMECA Founder and Director
DONATENOW (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001mTGlDM90pyTOSf2hSx55wBl4Ddwwmc1HcUteZRAUK1R1oGDO3m5ckUB3i0QbVtvqj3EtV7rD9tyLrdTKuWRHrRlh563nNI1gZUf2VGpqtQAbvXu-4QioVIVbaew-kDkSV3SGUijE5gxFKlES-3YWcrHjmuSlNlN2)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~For the Children in GazaMore about what you can do - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001mTGlDM90pySH48wa7BJoyiBEDjV0u6JQzq47MExYymIMxpvWQ6u4c7J42NtfoaZ9q3QiCRwt2hMB3MyZC3eMT11qvUAze0hEBwEBiTpR7UnutWCthwUA2Q==
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~PLEASEGIVE NOW! (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001mTGlDM90pyTOSf2hSx55wBl4Ddwwmc1HcUteZRAUK1R1oGDO3m5ckUB3i0QbVtvqj3EtV7rD9tyLrdTKuWRHrRlh563nNI1gZUf2VGpqtQAbvXu-4QioVIVbaew-kDkSV3SGUijE5gxFKlES-3YWcrHjmuSlNlN2)Together we can bringlife-savinghelp to the children!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know you may have already given to MECAthis year. You may have even given more thanonce.
But, please, I ask you to giveagain now.
Whatever amount you canafford will help save the lives ofchildren who are sick, wounded, and hiding interror from Israeli bombs at this moment.

Makea secure online contribution. (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001mTGlDM90pyTOSf2hSx55wBl4Ddwwmc1HcUteZRAUK1R1oGDO3m5ckUB3i0QbVtvqj3EtV7rD9tyLrdTKuWRHrRlh563nNI1gZUf2VGpqtQAbvXu-4QioVIVbaew-kDkSV3SGUijE5gxFKlES-3YWcrHjmuSlNlN2)
Thank you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Barbara LubinMiddle East Children's Alliance
------------------------------------------------------------email: meca@mecaforpeace.orgweb: http://www.mecaforpeace.org------------------------------------------------------------
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Emergency for Gaza -contact MECA IMMEDIATELY

2009-01-01T11:18:00.002+02:00

Dr.Mona El-Farra is flying to Cairo on Saturday to oversee the transportation from Egypt to Gaza of 5 tonnes
of essential medical relief . The consignment was to be taken by boats of the Free Gaza campaign, which can take
up to one tonne per boat. But after an Israeli gunboat rammed and damaged one such relief boat in international waters
earlier this week alternative means had to be found. The World Health Organisation is helping to organise this emergency relief.

The consignment is taking anaesthetic, orthopaedic surgery equipment for adults and children, pain killers as well as milk powder
and general medication. These will be distributed through the Red Crescent Society to hospitals and medical centres. The consignment
is funded by Middle East Children’s Alliance and by a variety of organisations in US, Europe and Britain, including the Liverpool
Friends of Palestine.

Once the emergency is over, Dr.El-Farra hopes to continue a project to introduce water purification into Gaza schools,
to provide drinking water for children. This has the support of Middle East Children's Alliance but has had to be suspended
due to the Israeli bombing of Gaza.
if you like to help please contact mecafropeace.org
mecaforpeace.org

IN Jabalia refujee camp -usual Isreali Army practise

2008-12-31T10:09:00.004+02:00

Dear Friends
Today in the early morning hours , and while the health emergency teams on duty in Jabalia were trying to evacuate the injured and dead , they were targeted by the Israeli army. One of the paramedics was killed, and another injured. (I will provide more details when I have the names and time of the incident )

I warned in a previous entry in my blog , and several times in my writing while reporting from Gaza since 2000, of the targeting of health teams while on duty and in clear uniform .
Who is violating human rights? And, talking of terrorism - what about state terrorism!
In Gaza we have much evidence of daily human rights violations. We do not need the world to say they did not know, when this genocide is such a prominent fact.

I am travelling from Manchester to Cairo this week to send medication, emergency supplies, and very important orthopaedic equipment, for Al Awda hospital and the Red Crescent society. Also, some very important children's medication, and medications for chronic diseases. While the hospitals are overwhelmed with the injured, it is important to secure the rest of the patients - a very difficult balance for us in such crisis, with the health services at the point of collapse.

PS
I highly recommend this website for more information about Palestine
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/

Gaza Under The Attack -No Place is Safe -

2008-12-29T23:09:00.001+02:00

It is extremely difficult for me to be here in the UK watching events unfold on the ground in Gaza from this very far distance. With a broken heart I watch the news from this unprecedented and savage Israeli attack on my friends, family, and colleagues in Gaza. In the last two days around 300 Israeli air strikes have hit dozens of locations in the overcrowded Gaza Strip. Their “military targets” are mixed in with homes, schools, hospitals, and universities. As of this writing, 294 people are dead and more than 600 injured.

Unnecessary deaths

I am distraught thinking about the fate of these injured people. I know the situation of hospitals in Gaza well through my health and humanitarian work. The siege of Gaza has left our hospitals without one hundred basic medications and many important diagnostic and laboratory equipment is not working because spare parts aren’t available and the fluctuation of current from our irregular power supply has left some equipment beyond repair. In this period of crisis, Gaza hospitals are also lacking crucial medications and supplies for their operation rooms.

I’ve watched the chaotic scenes inside Gaza hospitals as staff struggle to find space for all of the injured and dead. The unprecedented numbers of casualties come in from ambulances and cars in a near-constant stream. But emergency situations are nothing new in Gaza; it is the impact of the siege that has changed the odds. I know that we would be facing a different situation if the 18 months of siege hadn’t drained our supplies of medicines and food, making it difficult to treat and feed patients.

I’ve spoken to several of my fellow doctors in Gaza and each one of them is overwhelmed and demoralized. Even with all of their training, the material conditions in Gaza are preventing them from doing what they are capable of. They could have saved many more lives.

I remember how ambulance drivers were not allowed to reach the injured in previous military attacks on Gaza. Many lives could have been saved then too if the ambulances reached the injured at the right time. A few minutes can be the difference between life and death. I wonder whether we will hear reports like this again once the emergency situation is over and there is time for truth and reflection.

No place is safe in Gaza

The first military air strikes struck at the exact time that school children make their way home. W here I live in Gaza City, several primary schools are very close to the police headquarters which were among the first targets. These horrifying facts explain the high number of women and children amongst the dead. Thirty children and nine women have been reported dead and another 130 children and 38 women injured.

I’ve spoken with friends and family in Gaza and my heart sunk further with their first-hand accounts of the death and destruction. On a personal level I am mourning the loss of one of my cousins, Ibrahim Mahmoud El-Farra, age 22. He was killed in the first attack on the presidential palace. F16 fighter planes fired three big missiles at the building. Neighbors tell me the ground shook and that the blast broke all the windows of my nearby apartment building.

My cousin, and an unknown number of other victims, is still under the rubble. The scale of destruction is too large for Gaza’s small number of rescue workers. They are slowly pulling body parts out of the rubble as Israeli air strikes make more and more piles of rubble and people.

The number of reported deaths will increase in the next few days as more bodies are recovered and more of the seriously injured cases die because their serious but treatable wounds cannot be treated in Gaza.

No justification

As a mother, I believe that all children are precious and deserve love and protection. If Israeli children are terrified and confined to the shelters because of the Palestinian rockets, this is wrong. But it is no justification to kill Gaza’s children and innocent civilians, who make up the majority of victims. Israel’s actions are creating more and more hatred. While families in Gaza cower in their homes, ready for death to strike, how can Israel talk of peace? Neither building the wall in the West Bank nor attacking Gaza so savagely will bring peace to Israel. Only peace that is based on justice and respects the rights of us all will work in the end. We are humans too.

With an aching heart I continue to watch Gaza from a distance. I cannot turn the TV off, cannot detach myself from what is going on there. Not while my medical colleagues work hard under such extraordinarily circumstances. Not while my friends, my family, and the whole population of Gaza face such horrible atrocities and constant fear. The nightmare isn’t over.

Merry Christmas and Happy New year

2008-12-24T18:07:00.005+02:00

Land , Peace and Bread
Dear friends, comrades,brothers, sisters all over the world

While the whole world celebrates the Christmas and the New year, I am sure that Palestinian children inside Gaza are not forgotten by you. But they need to know that you are there and you care, and they are not abandoned by the world, while they have to suffer daily different sorts of inhumane practices that have been imposed on them by USA , Europe and Israel as part of cruel siege and economical embargo.

While I am here in the UK I watch different TV advertisements, to encourage people to be kind to each other specially at Christmas time…to be kind to the abused children, the homeless people, to be kind to donkeys in the developing countries, to help children to have access to clean water in Africa…I felt proud of all those advertisements, that encourage the population here to feel their existence as part of the international family.

I wish I have seen an advert describing the living conditions of the Palestinian children in Gaza, where children have no clean water, no bread, no safe homes, no safe schools, no safe playgrounds, no safe environment, no proper housing conditions, not enough medications, no electricity, no cooking gas and no entertainment facilities…while all the borders are strictly closed and nobody can get out no matter how great their need or wish.

While you are celebrating the Christmas and the New Year, think of Gaza children, think of the world as one family looking for peace and justice, looking for stability and happiness for all
I love you all
And again merry Xmas and happy New Year

Mona ElFarra

from Gaza to Larnaka and then Manchester -Uk

2008-12-19T14:08:00.002+02:00

Manchester, 15 November - a few days after my arrival in the UK
My email to my friend , Mona Bsieso , palestinan from Gaza ,lives abroad.
Dear Mona,
It has been very difficult for me to leave Gaza. I tried to leave several times to reach my youngest daughter who was not allowed re-entry to Gaza. She is now at one of the British schools trying hard to adjust to the educational, cultural, and social system here.
I am very busy trying to support my daughter, but at the same time I am anxious to go back home to continue my work. I cannot rest knowing of the difficulties and ordeals people face daily. I know exactly how inhumane life can be without electricity, gas, petrol, or a way out. And on top of that the daily military operations against Gaza.
With a torn heart, I sailed last week on board of one of the Free Gaza Movement boats and watched Gaza's beach slowly disappear. On the way to Larnaka I sobbed a lot. It was hard for me to be on board a small boat in the midst of a dangerous hostile sea and harder still was to think about the unpredictable future. Even though I was on my way to see my children I did not feel the normal, natural human feelings. You see, everything in Palestinian psychology is mixed with sadness, uncertainty, and great suffering.
When the captain announced that we had reached international waters, I threw fifteen bouquets of wild flowers from my garden in loving memory of the 15 fishermen who were killed by the Israeli naval forces in last five years. Their only crime was accidentally fishing farther out than the Israeli army permits, though they were still within Gazan waters according to international treaties. They were killed while trying to secure some sort of living for their families amidst the cruel, unjustified occupation and collective punishment that are imposed on all of us under the slogan of security. Their executions go against all humanitarian values.
I am looking forward to hearing from you. Please pass my warm regards to all the friends who support us in Gaza. It is with their solidarity that we can continue and show resilience during the most difficult times, while we face the occupation and the world's shameful silence.

Yours sincerely,
Mona El Farra

The siege -closure- and my personal story

2008-12-19T13:10:00.002+02:00

This time I’m writing my own very personal story. But it is also the story of 1.6 million Palestinians in Gaza who are living under the siege and the hurtful cruel occupation and collective punishment.

Last June, I decided to send my 16-year-old daughter for a vacation in the UK. We had to go through a very complicated procedure for her to leave Gaza. The borders opened twice but she, like many students and patients, was not able to leave. My daughter holds a British passport so the British Consulate put a lot of efforts towards getting a permit from Israel for my daughter to leave Gaza with some other British citizens via the Jordan River.

Six weeks after the start of the summer holidays, my daughter was issued the permit to leave Gaza. She traveled north through the Erez crossing then to the West Bank and over the bridge to Jordan. From there she flew from Amman to Manchester. After a short visit she flew back to Amman. She was on her way back to the Jordan River crossing when we were informed that there are new regulations and we would need a new permit for my daughter to enter Gaza again!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I applied for this permit from the Israeli army via the Palestinian coordination office in Gaza several times but received no reply. For six long weeks my child stayed in Amman with relatives, unsure what will happen next. We waited and waited but meanwhile her school in Gaza opened and she was very much concerned, as were we all, about her education.

I tried contacting human rights organizations in Israel to ask for assistance but everybody said it might take months to get her a permit to return home!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just one small piece of paper was preventing my child from coming home!!!!!!!!!!!!! Though she is privileged to hold a British passport this still did not secure her return home. In the eyes of the Israeli occupation she is treated as any Palestinian, because she holds a Palestinian ID card as well.

Our family decided that Sondos should return to the UK and enroll in one of the colleges there. But it was not easy for a 16-year-old girl to adapt to different educational and social systems, new surroundings, and late school entry. All these pressures besides being 16!!!!!!

Back in Gaza I decided to travel to the UK to help my daughter settle in to her new environment. For three continuous months I tried to find a way out of Gaza. The Rafah border was only opened once for 3 days in all that time. I waited among a throng of people at the border but I, like so many others, was turned back when they closed the border again on the third day. After this experience I took a decision to leave Gaza on one of the Free Gaza Movement boats to Larnaka. From there I flew to UK where I am now staying with my daughter. She still finds it very difficult to cope with the educational system, but it is even more difficult for her to adjust to the new social framework or structure.

As for me, I was invited by the Palestine Solidarity Committee, Liverpool Friends of Palestine, and others to give talks about my life in Gaza. So I tell audiences about the Gazans who died because they weren’t allowed to travel abroad for treatment and we didn’t have the necessary medicines or equipment to treat them in Gaza. I explain what it’s like to live in the dark because the power supply is cut off most of the days and nights. I give voice to the hundreds of newborn andpremature babies in our hospitals who are dying slowly , because we cannot accurately measure the gas system in their tiny bodies due to the interrupted power supply.

The numbers are staggering. Eighteen percent of children under the age of 15 in Gaza have stunted growth and forty-five percent have iron deficiency anemia due to lack of proper nutrition. Eighty percent of the population is now living in poverty and two thirds are refugees that were ethnically cleansed from their villages 60 years ago. More than 650,000 children under the age of 16 suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

But the stories are worse. I explain what it PTSD means for these children, how they suffer from all sorts of nightmares, anxiety, and inability to focus at school, phobias, bedwetting, stress, and depression.

But the worst feeling of all is our feeling of abandonment. Enduring the hardships of daily life in Gaza under the siege and occupation is less harmful than having to live day after day without hope. We are losing of faith in the outside world for not taking serious actions against Israel’s crimes against humanity in Gaza.

I'm determined to go back to Gaza, to continue my responsibilities, in the Red Crescent Society ,as well as my responsibilities as MECA Projects director, where I coordinate cultural and health projects , for children community centers and the relief work I coordinate for hundreds of families ,
. My life will be torn between the two things I love most: my children and my work for my people in Gaza.

the closure- the siege -and my personal experience

2008-12-19T11:26:00.001+02:00

On Life Support--Guardian Editorial

2008-12-18T20:56:00.002+02:00

Guardian, Friday 12 December 2008
This is surely the result of Mona's meeting with the Guardian editor and a handful of others. good for her.
Victoria Britain
On Fri, 12/12/08, Ray Dolphin wrote: Editorial The Guardian, Friday 12 December 2008 On life support
Anyone who thinks that the status quo in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is acceptable should talk to a doctor fromGaza . There is an acute shortage of all drugsand a complete lack of all cancer and cystic fibrosis medication. The hospitals have generators, but often no fuel, and switching from mains to an emergency> supply wrecks the equipment. One of the strip's three CT scanners is bust because of fluctuations in current. This also makes the temperature control of incubators for newborn babies unreliable. According to one source, more than 230 patients died last year waiting for a permit to leave The list goes on: the majority of Gaza 's children present the symptoms of mild or severe post traumatic stress disorder. About 45% of children under five have iron deficiency from lack of fruit, and meat and 18% of children have stunted growth. There is one other statistic: 71% of children interviewed at a school recently said they wanted to be a "martyr" A six-month ceasefire, or a period of "quiet" between Israel and Hamas, exists in name only. The current volley of raids and rockets started on November 4 when Israel said it uncovered a tunnel Hamas was planningto use to capture soldiers. Israeli forces have killed at least 10 Hamas gunmen, and as the rockets rained down on Sderot and Ashkelon, the gates of Gaza were locked. They were opened on Tuesday when 45 trucks of food, medical supplies cooking gas and fuel were let through. Israel says it will stop its blockade the moment the rockets cease and defends itself from the charge that its actions amount to collective punishment by drawing comparisons with other sanctions regimes. But Israel is not the only player. Conditions in Gaza are daily news in the Arab media and Egypt is coming under pressure to open its border with Gaza . British ministers may protest about the border closures, but the whole world community is complicit with the policy of punishing Palestinians for having elected Hamas. There is no defence for Hamas' use of rockets against Israeli civilian targets. Making Israeli children cower in concrete shelters is not "resistance". But nor can one justify the policy of keeping 1.5 million Palestinians on life support and then turning the ventilator off from time to time. Even less should it be tolerated by the incoming Obama administration. One cannot point, as Dennis Ross has done, to the dangers of Gaza becoming a failed state, while supporting policies which ensure the state continues to fail. Keeping Gaza perched on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe should not appeal to a US president who intends to use his middle name to reach out to the Arab world.

THis is how Palestinan patients are treated

2008-09-05T23:50:00.000+03:00

Erez Crossing, by Donna Wallach:

"I along with others from Free Gaza Movement decided not to return withthe SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty to Cyprus and instead to remain in GazaStrip for a while to continue the work of breaking the siege. Throughoutthe time I am staying here I will participate with the others in variousactions in Rafah, Gaza City, and other areas throughout the Gaza Strip,including going out in fishing boats to challenge the Israeli Navypreventing the Palestinian fishermen from fishing more than 6 miles out.In addition, we are re-organizing ISM Rafah, to do Palestinian ledsolidarity work here."This past Friday a 64 year-old Palestinian woman from Beit Hanoun, GazaStrip arrived to the Erez crossing accompanied by all of the remainingmembers of the Free Gaza Movement. She has been suffering for sevenmonths with a tumor on her spine. Without the necessary surgery grantedher by St. Joseph Hospital in Jerusalem, she will become paralyzed andwill live in constant pain, from what I understand. We, FGM members,walked in front of her as a protection for her to not be shot by theIsraeli soldiers guarding their border. She was being pushed in awheelchair. Slowly we approached the Israeli side, holding our arms inthe air and many of us clutching our passports."A Palestinian man was the liaison between Dr. Mona El-Farra and theIsraeli "authorities". Dr. Mona El-Farra was the main organizer for thisaction of bringing this 64 year-old woman to cross the Erez checkpoint.The Palestinian man kept on telling us that we needed to stop becausethe Israelis told him they were going to shoot us. We decided it wasmore important to challenge the Crime Against Humanity of Israel notpermitting this woman to receive the urgent medical treatment sheneeded, so we continued to walk towards the Israeli gate with our armsup in the air. We finally reached the Israeli gate without a shot beingfired, not a bullet not a tear gas canister or a sound bomb. In the endthough, the Israelis heartlessly told the woman she had to go back home,but could return an 8th time."On Sunday 31st August, we from FGM arrived at about 9:00am from Rafah,the southernmost area in Gaza Strip, to Erez crossing, the northernmostarea in Gaza Strip. We came to continue standing in solidarity with thewoman from the village of Beit Hanoun. We arrived late and she and Dr.Mona El-Farra had already left for the border. We gathered inside thecrude fenced in area where all Palestinians and others wait forpermission to cross the dirt pathway to arrive to the Israeli gate. Wewaited hours, then we heard that the woman was turned back again, withridiculous excuse that a member of her family must accompany her intoIsrael to the hospital. This woman came back, yet was not defeated.Almost all the members of her family have been wrongfully blacklistedby Israel, meaning that they cannot enter the Apartheid State of Israel.Finally the woman's 75 year-old husband was granted permission to enterIsrael with her. After he arrived to Erez and the paper work for him wasfilled out, they went off to the Israeli side. We continued to wait inthe heat to hear that she had crossed and was inside the Israeliambulance that would take her to the hospital and to her surgery whichwas supposed to have started on Sunday. Dr. Mona El-Farra told us thatshe continued to tell the Israeli authorities that members of the FreeGaza Movement were waiting at Erez to ensure that the woman would enterthis time and that we were willing to die, we would walk again to theborder even if the soldiers would shoot and kill us, we would do what ittakes so that the Israelis would allow her to enter, which they finallydid. The 8th time was the charm for this very brave and courageous womansitting in a wheelchair who defied the Israelis with all of theirgunpower."31 August 2008Donna Wallach, Free Gaza Movementhttp://www.FreeGaza.org

hello all iam alive and active , will never give up

2008-09-05T09:36:00.005+03:00

Dear all
friends , sisters, brothers , comrades all over the world , all of you who have supported me while writing my blog , just a quick words to let you know:

I am fine , but the whole situation in Gaza is so frustrating and not easy to handle day after day. It is is not easy living under such circumstances , while the borders are closed, and 1.5 million live under collective punishment.

The success of the Free Gaza Movement gave us some hope for the future , it was a small act , but great and courageous too , a few determined , strong activists did the miracle. In an unprecented voyage, the first boats to arrive from international waters to Gaza shores in 41 years. A lot of work can be done to make the change , to ring the bell , to wake up the deaf , silent and blind international community goverments. What is happening in Gaza under the siege and the occupation is not only a human rights violation, it is a war crime.

I was with the Free Gaza movment and the re-constituted Gaza International Solidarity Movement at Erez crossing last Sunday (the northern border between Gaza and Israel ) to make pressure and let one of the patients out for treatment. We succeeded in the end (see the statement below ) but the hard question is, why should it take all these extravagant efforts to let one patient in great need for emergency surgery out of Gaza ?????????????

It is a fundemental basic need , it is the right of each individual to get health care !!!!!!!!!BUT IN PALESTINE UNDER OCCUPATION THE STORY IS DIFFERENT.

238 patients died last year while waiting to be issued a permit to leave Gaza for treatment ,via the borders . Hundreds are waiting, including many children.
We are not talking about Hamas or Fatah, or who is controlling Gaza , it is a basic humanitarian and human rights issue .

from Gaza with love
Mona

a taste of palestinian patients suffering at the Borders

2008-09-04T20:16:00.002+03:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ISRAEL FINALLY BOWS DOWN TO PRESSURE FROM 64-YEAR OLD PATIENT AND INTERNATIONAL ACTIVISTS.
The FREE GAZA MOVEMENT announces the entry of Magdia Abushaweesh at 13:30, Sunday 31st, 2008 through the Erez crossing to Israel.
64-year old Palestinian woman with a tumor on her spine in need of an operation to save her from paralysis, finally accesses Israel after 7 months of rejection. Originally having received an appointment and permission to travel to the St. Joseph hospital in Jerusalem she has since then continuously been denied entry by the Israeli Occupation Forces.
After the seventh attempt on Friday the 29th of August accompanied by a group of 11 international activists attempting to escort magdia Abushaweesh through the Erez crossing, Israel gave permission. The 11 internationals from the Free Gaza Movement followed by a large group of press secured heavy media coverage that eventually put pressure on the Israeli government and achieved the entry permission. The internationals and Magdia walked towards the Israeli gate with the border guards threatening to shoot them. They advanced slowly with their arms raised, holding their passports up high. They finally managed to reach the gate, but the Israeli guards refused to open it.Magdia entry follows in the wake of the forty-five international human rights workers from the Free Gaza Movement arriving to Gaza on two boats sailing through international waters. The 23rd of August was the frist time in 41 years that an international ship has landed in the Gaza port, consequently breaking the Israeli siege. The mission of exposing the illegality of Israel's actions and expressing solidarity with the suffering people of the Gaza-strip (and of the occupied Palestinian territory as a whole) continues with the continuous presence of several members of the Free Gaza Movement in the Gaza-strip. They will be doing many simular activities during the next few months throughout Gaza

ISM and fishermen of Gaza

2008-09-04T20:12:00.000+03:00

Yesterday, 1st September 2008, the first day of Ramadan, several volunteers with the Free Gaza Movement and the International Solidarity Movement accompanied a small fleet of seven fishing vessels from Gaza City port. The fishermen exercised their right to fish in Gazan territorial waters, providing them with a livelihood and food for the besieged people of Gaza. The fishing fleet reached approximately nine miles offshore and began trawling along the Gazan coast, well within international limits. Usually the Israeli Navy prevents Gazan fishing vessels from accessing beyond six miles and in many cases only three miles by attacking the boats, sometimes lethally, or by arresting the fishermen. However, this day’s fishing resulted in a highly successful catch due to the ability to access richer fishing grounds further offshore.

Two Israeli Naval gunboats approached the fleet soon after leaving port and began firing “warning shots” shortly afterwards. They were aware that internationals were on some of the boats. The Israeli Navy continued shooting multiple times at the fishing vessels, one of which was fired upon at least seven times. They also deployed explosive charges in the water and attempted to de-stabilise some of the boats by creating a strong wake. Communication was established with the Israeli Navy via VHF radio, informing them that everyone onboard were unarmed civilians and requesting that the Israeli Navy stop shooting.

The volunteers will continue to join Gazan fishing expeditions on a regular basis and will monitor Israeli aggressions towards the fishermen. Video and written documentation will be posted publicly and made available to journalists. The Israeli Navy will not be informed as to when the volunteers will join the fishermen, nor the ports they will sail from, since this is not within their jurisdiction. Also no indication will be made as to which vessels have internationals onboard.

A Quest for Freedom

2008-06-14T09:42:00.004+03:00

Gaza those days
no fuel -no power-no gas
it was not nice of me, not to update my blog, and to keep you informed about my life in Gaza, but iam sure you can understand me very well, specially that you all know by now that writing for me is a state of truth, and deep feelings, I write because I want you to know the truth about my life in Gaza, and also to feel that I am still alive and I have not been converted ,to an object or number!
I write to keep the link between myself and the outside world , the normal natural world ,with a deep feeling that I am like all of us in Gaza , we don’t belong to this world any more .
we don’t belong to this silent impotent world , when we have been converted to a piece of news , small pieces of news, that attract the world attention and sympathy , for short while , and the siege continues and different crimes against humanity are daily committed by the occupation collective punishment , and by us as Palestinians , when we fail to over bridge the gap between Fath and hamas(the two largest parties in Palestine ) in order to reach an agreement , so we can confront the occupation , and focus on non violent resistance, to reach our national goals of freedom and self-determination , when peace that is based on justice prevail.
Hearing about Gaza is much different than living in Gaza

So please allow me to accompany t you in a tour, during one of my days in Gaza
WEDNSDAY 11th of June 2008
Today I felt so pleased , I felt that I own the whole world in my hands , when I managed to fill my car with 10 litres of petrol!!!!!!!!!!, oh my god how our goals has been minimised to satisfy such a basic need in this modern world , bearing in mind that , I did not fill my car with petrol since 6th of April 2008, so am sure that you can imagine my childhood happiness , but my next problem followed soon !what shall I do with this fortune of petrol ?shall I go to see my sister in Khan-yunis ?oh it is far away, (22 klm away) I thought ! I will waste the petrol)
Shall I go to the New Horizon centre in Nussierat ?
Shall I go to jabalia ?Assria centre
Alawda hospital ?
Red crescent society in Gaza
In the end I decided not to use my car , and keep it for emergencies.
And I continued walking to the red crescent society , I also kept my mask on my nose , so I don’t smell the cooking oil smell that is filling the streets of Gaza those days …………
Back to my apartment
I walked back to my apartment , walking supposed to be nice blessing , but not in a very hot summer day!!!!!!!!!!

I don’t have cooking gas at my flat, and don’t know how long it will take when I can manage to get one cylinder of this gas
I am lucky I have electrical cooker too!!!!!!!!!!!
I returned home to find the electricity cut off!!!!!!!!!

While it is getting dark and I am ,Feeling bored, hot tired, frustrated I decided, not to lit the candles and went to sleep very early.

, and hoped that ,I will have nice dreams not night mares ,How come I don’t know ??How can I have nice dreams when all the circumstances say that I shouldn’t!!!!!!!!!

In the morning
As I walked up in the morning

I told myself: they will never succeed to break up my will and stamina; they will never be able to crush my soul and determination to be part of the change I want to see in the whole world, not only Palestine

With this positive feeling I went to the Red Crescent Society, to follow up the arrival of medications to Gaza, from MECA, with the kind donation from the American people, who dream of peace and justice, and work hard till this day come true.
Yours for
Freedom
Return
Peace –
Justice
–truth
Mona

A Quest for Freedom "Fishermen Action Day"

2008-06-12T12:10:00.000+03:00

Last April's report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs identified a growing crisis. Titled "Polluting the Sea in the Gaza Strip,” the report indicated that "between 50 and 60 million litres of partially treated and untreated sewage have been flowing daily into the Mediterranean Sea since 24 January". It also warned of the contamination of sea waters which is posing health risks for bathers and consumers of seafood.

In response to this crisis, a public event-Quest for Freedom- will be held at the Gaza port on Monday, June 16th 2008, from 9:00 to 11:00. The event will include opportunities to join fisherman on their boats for a firsthand exposure to the conditions that threaten their own livelihoods, the health of Gazan citizens, and the vitality of the natural environment.

On the same day, groups in other countries will carry out demonstrations of solidarity. This is part of a growing international movement in which people around the world join together to protest the collective punishment being inflicted on Gaza.

On behalf of "the Palestinian International Campaign to End Siege on Gaza", we would like to invite you to attend. We look forward to your participation.

Sincerely.

Dr. Mona El-Farra
Palestinian International Campaign to End the Siege

My InterviewWith The Guardian Weekly -UK-Love and Resistance In Gaza Strip

2008-04-25T01:01:00.001+03:00

Love and resistance in Gaza Strip
-Tuesday April22nd2008

In an apparent softening of its position, Hamas has said it will accept a partial truce covering the Gaza Strip. But the lack of water, fuel and medicine has taken its toll and Palestinians continue to die of malnutrition and lack of medical resources. Mona el-Farra is a doctor and human rights activist working with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. She is also the author of From Gaza With Love, a blog through which she keeps the world abreast of conditions under the Israeli occupation
Tuesday April 22nd 2008

Doctor Mona el-Farra, top left, poses with a group of children in the Gaza StripI started writing in 2000 when my parents’ home was demolished by the Israeli occupation army at the beginning of this intifada. I felt strongly that I should tell people abroad about my personal experience and about what’s happening in Gaza under occupation. As a doctor working in the field and living in Gaza I witnessed so many human rights violations and I wanted people to know about it. About two years ago some friends and supporters of the Palestinian cause in Britain encouraged me to start a blog because they thought that my message was strong, but I didn’t expect the reaction – the response was overwhelming. So I continued.Gaza at the moment is a big prison, a very dire situation. Like all the community, most of the time I feel isolated, but by writing I feel that I am not alone. Other people in the world react to my writing, and I can see I am not alone – it is a sort of therapy for me.Let me describe this morning for you. For more than four weeks now we haven’t had fuel in Gaza. I have completely run out and I walk to work. I walk about 6km – or more than that because I don’t only walk to work, I have other meetings and activities that I get to by walking. I have to wake up much earlier to get there on time. While walking to work today I saw many children, women and students. Everyone was walking and there were few cars on the street. It reminded me of the curfew. The Israelis are not inside Gaza now, they are outside, but they are still controlling us. The streets are quiet, just people walking silently with grim faces. My walk is not safe or pleasant because the drones and fighters are in the sky and I can hear bombing and shelling. I don’t enjoy the walk – I feel danger. I feel for the patients who cannot reach the hospital. Many doctors, nurses and health workers come from areas outside the city – to them 6km is nothing. They cannot get to work and it is paralysing our life.Gaza is a traumatised community. Of course there is hope for peace, but people cannot see any horizon. Most people are not working. In such situations, peace becomes more valuable to people. We hope that we can live with dignity and have normal lives like other people in the world, but we are exhausted and frustrated, and spend one day to the next not knowing what will happen. But we know very realistically that our life is difficult, that we are leading a very difficult life in Gaza.Power is regular at the moment and Israel has announced it will allow fuel into the area, to the power station. But it is not enough. We are always under the threat that the power will cut off, and the generator is not enough to meet the needs of our regular routine work. Power cuts affect the patients, like those on renal dialysis, as well as our daily routine in the operating room. Much of our high-tech equipment is out of order before its time, the CT machine has been ruined and the laboratory equipment’s results are not reliable. This is the case for all the health systems in Gaza. You cannot depend on them because of lack of resources and power cuts. Because we don’t have a functioning health system we have to refer patients to other hospitals outside Gaza – children who need surgery, for example, or cancer patients who need chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The process of their referral is terribly difficult. Most of them don’t get permission to leave. Even if the hospital accepts my patient the army says: "No, this patient is allowed, that one is not allowed."It makes me angry and frustrated, but it doesn't stop my enthusiasm to keep working. I’m not allowed to collapse: I’m an activist and I should continue supporting my people, my community, my patients, so it puts an extra burden on me. I feel the burden and sometimes I am tired – but not collapsed. I believe it is my duty to do it. What keeps me going is that I feel all the time that people need me, or need my efforts. For example, I am trying to arrange for a new paediatric general surgeon to come to Gaza to carry out operations on children who cannot leave but are in urgent need of surgical intervention. If I succeed, many patients’ lives will be saved. It is the cause, the health cause, the humanitarian cause, that keeps me going. I also coordinate work in cultural centres for children in refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. I believe very strongly that these centres are important because they support children’s psychology through entertainment. Playing, dancing, painting, reading – these are important needs. OK, people are hungry in Gaza, but their psychology has collapsed; we need to help the minds of children through these activities. At least 65% of Palestinian children suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome from living in war conditions.Support from other parts of the world is very important – some people give, but it is not enough. However, if it comes directly to the children of Gaza, to the patients of Gaza, it is going to do a lot. On another level, it would help if people wrote to their members of parliament because nothing will change dramatically unless the politics are changed.• Mona el-Farra is still looking for a paediatric surgeon. She can be contacted through her blog, fromgaza.blogspot.com. She was interviewed by Charlotte Baxter.

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