Sorry for not writing for such a long time.
Much has happened since my last post and I will try to give a brief summary.
The cease fire is holding!
Many people were skeptic this can actually occur, however for 3 and a half months now there are no real fire exchanges. There have been a handful of rockets fired into our region, however these have not really disrupted the cease fire. They did however remind us how fragile things are, and how much restraint is needed to keep it going.
Our life here in Sderot has improved significantly. People are out in the streets and moving around without fear.
My kids are now sleeping outside of the safe room after about a year and a half. They feel safer and are able to play outside without the constant fear of alerts and rockets.
The cease fire is not an official one. It was not signed directly by leaders on both sides. It's details are a bit vague and each side claims the other is not keeping the agreement, which makes it even more fragile.
Goods are being allowed to enter into Gaza, however at a much slower rate than in the past. This is causing great discomfort and need for the civilians.
As my friend Peace Man wrote, there is no freedom of passage. There are 2 ways to enter and leave Gaza: The Erez crossing which allows people through to Israel and from there to the west bank, and the Rafah crossing which allows people through to Egypt. Both these crossings are closed for the majority of the civilians. Both Israel and Egypt are making it extremely difficult for people to pass. This is why Peace Man has not been able to leave Gaza for more than a 18 months and has missed 2 years of University studies!
I am involved in a grassroots group called Other Voice which has been active for about 8 months. The group is creating contacts with civilians like us in Gaza and we are trying together to think of ways to help sustain the cease fire and create a trust building process that may influence the way we see each other.
I invite people to go to the web site for more information: www.othervoice.org
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4 comments:
Glad your back and really happy to see that you are okay. I will continue to keep you in my prayers.
u both need to keep writing.. incessantly.. no breaks.. its important that the world hear your voices..
I love your blog!!
As I said to Peace Man, it's been a long time since I have visited your blog. Unfortunately, I hear the situation is much worse for the Palestinians. I can only say to you the same I've told him. As LIRUN says above, both of you MUST keep writing so more people become aware of the very sad and tense life you both lead. Hugs, M.
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