What's Going On in Gaza Strip?

For straight four days, my husband and I pay attention to CNN’s latest updates on the Gaza conflict. He has already shed light on me about Gaza’s geography, present political state, and military organization. So more or less, I can assess the ongoing war that has killed, at last count, 550 people; half of those were women and children.

Yet, after dinner, my sister nonchalantly asked, “Is Gaza in Saudi Arabia?”

This makes me wonder how many are not yet aware of what’s going on in our neighborhood, more so where the conflict is happening.

To those who are oblivious of the crisis, this post is for you. I will try to reiterate what my husband has informed me about Gaza. And for those who keep abreast with the news, please help me pray for the innocent children and women who are being made as pawns in the damaging war.

During the reign of Hitler, he killed millions of Jews. Most leaders around the world were helpless, if not indifferent, during that time. So when the United Nations was born, they tried to make amends to the Jews by bringing them back to Israel, their homeland. But Israel was already occupied by immigrants (non-Jews, mostly Palestinians) when they were resettled there. I guess (as my little brain could digest) that’s when the conflict began.

The UN supported the Israelis on their quest. And they slowly painfully thrived. They occupied and progressed all around the Land of Jesus EXCEPT the 41 kilometers long coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea that is now popularly known as the Gaza Strip.

Gaza’s residents are mostly Palestinian Arabs, 100 or more of them are Filipino women married to their men. They are controlled by a de facto government called Hamas.

From 1967 up to now (roughly 41 years), Hamas strongly opposes the Israel’s control over their airspace, territorial waters, offshore maritime access, the Gaza-Israel border and most of all, the Israel’s control over the inflow and outflow of Gaza’s essential resources, including food. Whenever food is in short supply, Gazans have had little choice but to take in food supplied by World Food Programme workers in the area.

The Hamas wants independence. But Israel and other powerful nations (including US) are reluctant to give it to them because they think Hamas might make Gaza another Afghanistan, another would-be training ground to suicidal terrorists.

The name Gaza comes from the Arabic verb ‘azaz meaning to be strong. How strong could it stand the war? Only heaven knows.

I’m more concerned of the children (on both sides) who are caught in the middle of it all. They are innocents! They are acquainted to violence at a very young age. Aren’t they the future of our generation? What future are they molded to? A future of war and chaos? Those children deserve to live not to die. They deserve better.

PEACE!