Chaos, violence and desperation are almost certain to grip Gaza, even after the hostilities with Israel end, writes Arwa Damon
During past humanitarian missions in Gaza, aid workers like me entered through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, where a sea of human desolation greeted us. An overflow of tents spilled out of schools housing the displaced and blanketed the sidewalks. A handful of vehicles and donkey carts inched their way through a crush of human traffic. People were psychologically obliterated, alive but somehow dead.
On my trip to Gaza in April, an avid smoker I met joked, “They know that they can destroy us by cutting off our nicotine.” Back then, the cost of a single cigarette was around $10. Now, it’s $17 to $25 depending on the brand. Smuggle just five cartons into a truck, and that’s about a hefty $20,000 payday. Aid trucks sometimes end up becoming unwitting mules for cigarette smugglers, one of the main reasons they are targeted. To see this all firsthand is shocking, but hardly surprising.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Airstrike kills 25 in southern Gaza as Israeli assault on Gaza City shuts down medical facilitiesHeavy bombardment in the north forced the closure of medical facilities in Gaza City and sent thousands fleeing in search of increasingly elusive refuge.
Read more »
Exclusive: Gaza talks explore alternative to Israeli troops on Gaza-Egypt borderIsraeli and Egyptian ceasefire negotiators are in talks about an electronic surveillance system along the border between Gaza and Egypt that could allow Israel to pull back its troops from the area if a ceasefire is agreed, according to two Egyptian sources and a third source familiar with the matter.
Read more »
An Israeli attack on southern Gaza Strip leaves 71 dead, the Health Ministry in Gaza saysThe Gaza Health Ministry said 71 people have been killed in an Israeli attack in the south of the war-stricken enclave. The ministry said 289 others were injured in the attack that struck the Khan Younis area on Saturday. It said that many of the injured and dead were taken to nearby Nasser Hospital.
Read more »
Israeli attack on southern Gaza Strip leaves 71 dead, Health Ministry in Gaza saysAn Israeli official has confirmed that Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’ military wing, was the target of Saturday’s Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis
Read more »
In lawless Gaza, cigarette smuggling fuels attacks on aid trucksThe thriving underground trade is hampering aid deliveries as chaos and lawlessness grip Gaza.
Read more »
What Does Moore v. United States Mean for a Future Wealth Tax?See multiple perspectives from National Review (Opinion), National Review (Opinion), and Vox at AllSides.com.
Read more »