If
the Khan Yunis area is indicative of the rest of the Strip, Gaza is in ruins. The destruction is a testament to the folly of the territory’s ruling power, Hamas – a shameful waste of everything Palestinians and their supporters claim to hold dear.
In the heart of the Bani Suheila Municipality, looking through a rifle scope and a meurtrière (arrowslit) carved into a wall, I couldn’t fathom why anyone would invite such a disaster upon their people and country. I couldn’t see a single building left unmarred by Hamas and IDF operations.
Apartments are riddled with holes from bullets of every relevant caliber, with chains of dark spots from Negev, FN MAG, and RPK machine guns; pockmarks from micro-Tavor, M4, and Kalashnikov rifles; deep gouges from sniper fire. The interiors of homes were laid bare by tank shells, the remnants of their exterior faces scarred by shrapnel from grenades, IEDs, RPG-7s, and LAWs.
The roads have been torn into dirt wadis, shaped by the treads of
Merkava tanks and armored personnel carriers. Periodic winter squalls have filled putrid pools where swarms of chickens, ducks, cats, and dogs sate their thirst when they cannot rely on the goodwill of soldiers. When hungry, the myriad of farm animals dine on the garbage strewn in alleyways – spoiled food from refrigerators, stores, and the leftovers of soldiers.
Among the garbage, I found a leaflet dropped by the IDF, urging residents to flee the area so they would not be caught in the exchange of fire. The danger of civilian collateral damage had been abated by the warnings, the city emptied and turned into a ghost town.
(full article online)
REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: I wish I could show what I saw to Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif and ask them if this destruction was worth it.
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