Gaza, June 21 (Pal Telegraph – By Sameh A. Habeeb) It has been over a year and 4 months since I left Gaza early in 2009. I’m back today. Nothing has changed on the ground. Destroyed houses, roads, basic utilities and lack of infrastructure are still existing or “implanted” on Gaza roads. Your way to central Gaza city from Rafah is a bit strange as it’s very dusty and smelly from Egyptian fuel and oils. It is a pity that the roads of Gaza are the same as busy and environmentally contaminated roads in Cairo or China.

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I just left London 2 days ago. I made all the efforts to get to Gaza. I was between two choices that every Palestinian trying to cross to Gaza has to face. I reached London Heathrow airport midday to catch the 3pm flight to Cairo. Egypt airways staff refused to let me board the airplanes saying that I will be deported back to London. I negotiated with them for some time until they told me, “you can leave but you will be responsible for a new ticket”. It was strange to know that I could be deported back to London because I desired to go to Gaza. What does /did this mean?

I managed at the end to reach Cairo. I thought I would be able to get out of this ‘bad’, questionable’ situation so I made a few phone calls to the Egyptian authorities but alas no ‘good’ thing resulted. I was promised that I would be allowed to stay in Egypt for a few days after that, I will be able to go back to Gaza.

In Cairo, I was detained with a number of Palestinians, (in one of the rooms for 9 hours). We were not allowed to leave the airport. More than 35 people were lying on the ground. Some were sleeping while other children were either crying or playing. After 9 hours we were deported to Gaza. It was a very bitter experience to be deported as an illegal migrant with no rights. As far as International law is concerned it states that, you can be deported if you illegally enter a country.

Added to that, while ... [Read More]

June 8, (Pal Telegraph – By Sameh Habeeb) Palestinians voted for Hamas in 2006 looking for a change - instead of voting for the corrupted Fatah movement. Hamas’s slogan was “change” and “reform”, a change that has been adopted by Obama later on but came to an end. The siege which has been imposed by Israel, America, Quartet Committee and the entire international committee made Hamas more than paralyzed as a government. An entire closure of the borders, shortage of food, imprisoning of people and their freedom of movement were the main signatures of at least 4 years. Hamas and the people of Gaza are alike. Both are exhausted people.

The Palestinian people in Gaza are scattered, tired -where 67% of them are unemployed while more than 80% live under the poverty line. They lack the basic necessities. More than 510 of them died due to the inability to either get treatment in Gaza or leave –for abroad. Hamas’s government, like the people of Gaza, is imprisoned, The government is boycotted and their finances are suffering and scarce. All these elements create - massive humanitarian disaster in Gaza, added to this the national division with Fatah did/does not help.

Is Hamas going through a political ordeal?

A video of the prisoner Gilad Shalit was released by Hamas. Some people considered it as a breakthrough and will bring a psychological war against Israel. However, in my own view it is a hit for Hamas. The video by all measurements represents a failure. In my mind is shows how desperate Hamas was - Hamas thought it would be a good political move. I feel the massage of the video didn’t achieve what was required. Easily we can read that Hamas needs to solve the problem of Shalit. It needs the deal to be an accomplishment -then we can be aware of the fact that a political achievement was made - with the absence of national reconciliation and with the continuation of the siege.

It seems that Hamas never learned from Hezbollah. For years the Lebane... [Read More]

May 28, (Pal Telegraph – By Sameh Habeeb)- Maariv, Haaretz, Yedot Ahronot, Jerusalem Post, Israeli TVs and tens of other Israeli media outlets seem to be recruited by the government of Israel now.

As the aid convoys approach Gaza by the Mediterranean, the media outlets step up its propaganda and PR campaign. The propaganda portrayed in these media outlets will never succeed to changing the damaged image of Israel.

The whole world knows the concrete facts about the state of Israel. The state of Israel has been built through blood, violence, ethnic cleansing, political betrayal and guerrilla wars against the unarmed Palestinians in 1948 and prior to that. More than 7 wars have been launched by Israel against their Arab neighbors in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Egypt. Even, the attacks of Israel reached Tunisia and Iraq thousands of miles from that state!

Observers could easily notice an entire integration between Israeli media and the official stance of the government. Israel’s official stance is trying to tell the international mainstream that there is no siege in Gaza. This totally contradicts the facts being said repeatedly not by Palestinians but by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, OXFAM, USAID, CHF, UNRWA and tens of other organizations. These organizations clearly stated in their reports that Gaza is in Plight, crisis and inhuman living conditions. An example can be found in a report issued a few months ago by OXFAM.

Haaretz and Yediot Ahronot circulated a very piece of propaganda regarding the Israeli soldier detained in Gaza, Gilad Shalit. Both of them, cried on Gilad Shalit as if he was an innocent civilian captured from inside Israel. They didn’t show the way he was detained or why. Shalit was in the front, inside his tank firing at the borders of Gaza in Rafah. Shalit might kill few Palestinians in his short time with the army. Sadly, the newspapers tried to bring his issue ahead to the Freedom Flotilla which is carrying tho... [Read More]

May 27, (Pal Telegraph – By Sameh Habeeb) More than 700 international peace activists are aiming at arriving to within a few days by sea to the besieged Gaza Strip. According to the European campaign to End the Siege on Gaza over 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid and building materials are loaded on these boats. Hundred housing units are onboard and more than 500 wheelchairs for handicap children as well

According to the organizers, the key aim of this step is to ease the humanitarian crisis and plight of Gaza population. Israel has imposed a deadly siege for the past 4 years. Basics like food and primary needs are strictly getting to Gaza.

The announced purpose of the siege is to topple the Government of Hamas. However, the victims of the siege were and still the population of Gaza. More than 510 peoples died due to shortage of medicines and inability to travel for treatment abroad. Over 200 youths aged less than 30 died while digging tunnels to bring food from Egypt.

Mid of the siege, end of 2008 Israel launched a full scale attack against Gaza. The aim was to militarily bring down the Hamas government. But, the victims again were the population of Gaza. More than 1400 civilians were killed half of them were women and children. 5000 peoples were injured. More than 50.000 houses, schools, mosques, hospitals and other utilities were partially or entirely damaged. No signs that Israel will lift the siege or help to rebuild Gaza.

A number of European countries like Ireland, Sweden Greece beside Algeria, Kuwait and Turkey are sending these cargo and passengers boats. The cargo boats comprises of 9 sea-vehicles that mostly include all kind of needed aid in Gaza.

Mairead Maguire,Nobel Peace Laureate is on board this time. She has made it to Gaza a few times ago through the boats of Free Gaza Organization. Maguire spoke about her last experience in Gaza, “The children of Gaza are the ones who suffer most. During my visit to Gaza in Octob... [Read More]

In response to an article published a few minutes ago on Haaretz, regarding handing a package to Gilad Shalit. European Campaign to End Siege on Gaza (ECESG) expressed its deep shock as Haretz failed to maintain any kind of objectivity.

According to Arafat Madi, spokesperson of ECESG, no one rejected the offer of Noam Shalit to send a package to Gilad Shalit.

Madi told the Palestine Telegraph that ECESG is ready to carry the package to captive Gilad Shalit. He also added that no one from the organizers were contacted to explore the possibilities of taking that package.

“We are shocked of the claims published on Haaretz. The newspaper said that Gaza aid convoy refuses to deliver package to Gilad Shalit. This is mere Israeli propaganda. We are ready to send this massage or package. In return, we ask Israelis to allow Palestinian families to send their 8.000 prisoners or part of them the same.” Said Madi

There are more than 8.000 Palestinians imprisoned Israel. Since the start of siege, Palestinian families in Gaza are deprived to visit their prisoners inside Israel. Even a number of prisoners died due to Israeli illegal medical treatment.

Gaza, May 21, (Pal Telegraph – By Sameh A. Habeeb)The media outlets give considerable coverage for the continued flaming situation in Palestine, Gaza in particular. The issue of the two balanced battling powers of Israel and “Hamas” are all over the place . All facts show that Israeli is the super power and in no way can it be compared with any Middle East country. Other key issues are being touched upon not boldly and indirectly.

Infrastructure in Gaza has been on the media for shortwhile -when Israel bombarded with millions of rockets using its entire military arsenal - the densely populated area where over 1.7 resides. This last Genocide or Holocaust perpetrated in Gaza 2008-2009 resulted in serious problems and has direct ramifications on Gaza. We have seen the direct ramification of the bombing on the infrastructure in Gaza.

Real Infrastructure never happened

With the Oslo Accord a bunch of infrastructure projects took Place. The money donated or borrowed by Palestinian Authority (PA) via USA, European Union, Japan and other Arab countries was used for building more new roads, sanitation and water network, bridges and electricity lines. Many other projects took place like building universities, colleges, schools and hospitals. Sadly, it is undeniable that some of the money has been stolen by corrupted Palestinians or has been shifted to other projects in other areas.

The total projects and money allotted for infrastructure and rehabilitation. was not enough for Gaza. According to the Gaza municipality, Gaza city requires 65% of the city to be rehabilitated if not more.

As for Rafah city, more than 70% of the city needs to be rebuilt or rehabilitated - including the refugee camps, which are not suitable for human habitation. Same applies to all refugee camps and the small cities of Gaza like Jabalia, Beit Lahia and the middle areas till Khanyonis, ci... [Read More]

It’s been over a week since the environmental crisis began in Europe and other parts of the world such as the Middle East, North Africa Canada the US.  A cloud of volcanic ash drifting from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano continues to keep airspace shut down; affecting millions of travelers around the world and causing a tremendous crisis in the aviation industry.

The ash drifting from the volcano is formed from dust, small atoms of glass, crushed rock, sand and other components. The plumes of dusty materials become stuck in the airspace and it makes aviation risky and dangerous since it could cause great damage by paralyzing aircraft engines thus risking people's safety and lives.

Hundreds of thousands of flights have been cancelled; millions of passengers are trapped and stranded. People are deprived of the freedom of movement. A loss of billions of dollars has been documented due to flight cancelations and the resultant consequences of shortages delivered by air as well as the losses from air travel.

Politicians are seeking a way out.

A meeting of European Union ministers met to discuss the issue as part of their moral and legal responsibility. The whole international community is troubled over the disaster. Even presidents and high profile politicians are trapped in their offices. They have turned to other means of transportation until the volcano stabilizes.

Not far from this crisis, another disaster has been taking place in the Middle East for the past 4 years. It’s an Israeli-made disaster against the people of Palestine, both in Gaza and in the West Bank.

Tens of thousands of normal civilians are being seized and imprisoned in an open jail called Gaza. These people have never tasted the meaning of freedom. Whenever they try to travel - they can’t. Not because of a volcanic ash crisis, but simply because Israel says NO. Families are shattered in Gaza and abroad they never get united. It's as if your family... [Read More]

Australia, March 31, (Pal Telegraph) Some people do reckon that democracy is electing a government through votes or gaining a majority. Electoral politics, however, do not necessarily guarantee equal opportunity and access to political participation, racial equality or protection against discrimination.  In many countries around the world there exists inequality and discrimination. Australia is one such example.

I arrived at Bribane International Airport on the 23^rd of March.  It had been a long 23 hour flight to the country.  I longed for nothing more than rest, especially after the additional security checks in London and Singapore.  Standing in the queue for international travelers arriving in Australia, I watched men, women and families having their passports stamped.  The travelers passed through the line one-by-one having their passports stamped.  Given the speed in which everyone passed, it was not long before I arrived at the counter to have my own passport inspected and stamped with the entry visa.

My passport was stamped, but unlike my fellow travelers I was prohibited from moving on.  I was asked to step aside.  At this point, I became confused because none of those who had gone before me had been asked to do the same.  It was not long, however, before I found out why I had been asked to step aside.

Two security officers approached to welcome me to Australia.  The first security officer, who seemed to be an Arab-looking gentleman, said “Oh, hello Mr. Habeeb. We have been waiting for you.”  I replied, “thanks a lot, hopefully I will enjoy it.” Cynicism from deep within me began bubbling to the surface.  It was the comment that they had been waiting that resulted in a feeling of uneasiness.They have even told me manythings about me. It seems a file of informatin has been sent to those guys. All my activties in Gaza and London we... [Read More]