July 20th, 2014
Haifa, Israel
13th Day of Operation Protective Edge
I wake up like every Sunday morning and started running to Haifa University. Since we got the cat, I don’t need my alarm clock anymore. He jumps on me when the sun goes out so I’ll play with him. On the way up I decide to take the free newspaper Israel Today from the man in junction and learned about Shujaiyeh battle…
We went to sleep late at night. Arabs cut down the electricity to Dolev at 19:30, where Atzva family lives and they were asked to stay at home for the fear terrorists will try to use the dark to kill. Luckily it ended in 00:30 when the Electricity company fixed the line.
There was no reason for me to believe that something will change in those 5 hours I was sleeping…
But it was. They announced for 2 more killed soldiers: Second Lieutenant Bar Rahav (21), from Ramat Yishai and Sergeant Bnaya Rubel (20) from Holon. It frighting me it might have been one brothers pictures on the front page….
I skipped the protest last night. It was both left wing and right wing – And I am not sure on which side I was supposed to stand: Not with the left wing that calls IDF pilots murderers, but not with the right wing that calls “Death to the Arabs”. I guess I would have found myself on the left wing protesters, with group I knew that just want to make this war end as fast as can. Yesterday it was a bad side to be in – They were attacked with stones and were evacuated by the police. I knew it will happen, we all knew. It might be one of the reason I didn’t go.
Thinking about it, I realized we have lost. I was afraid to say what I think is right in my opinion because someone will try to hurt me. There is a names for that situation… Silencing will be the softest one
Shujaiyeh is a neighborhood of Gaza city. Since the morning, Hamas claim it had ambushed an IDF tank and a Nagmash (APC) in that neighborhood. The IDF don’t confirm that, but the numbers of bodies in that streets, broadcasted by foreign television, are bad enough. Bad enough for the Hamas for two hours of humanity cease fire to clear the streets from bodies. It lasted for 5 hours from our side, and one hour from the other side. If we make a mistake we at least try to help – the IDF will set a field hospital for the wounded (civilians and militants) that were hurt.
The fact Shujaiyeh is a neighborhood of Gaza city, means that IDF soldiers are no longer “couple of km from the fence looking for tunnels“. They are inside one of the most populated urban cities, fighting their way from house to house. While underneath them the underground city of Gaza swarm with Hamas militants popping in and out. It will be a very bad fight…
Take Care
Gad
P.S.
13. 13 supposed to be a lucky number in Judaism and now it was allowed to publish 13 of Golani brigade were killed in the fighting that night…. =(. Nathan, because of his job in fighting can be with any brigade… With Guri we talked last night. But there was no sign from Nathan since Thursday….
Second Lieutenant Bar Rahav (21), from Ramat Yishai and Sergeant Bnaya Rubel (20) from Holon.
Militants cutting the electricity line to Dolev settlement