nowadays (rather,yesterday already – it is after midnight as I write this) Israel agreed to 5-hour cease fire for humanitarian purposes requested by the U.
N.. Hamas “agreed. (Not that they actually followed through with it – 3 rockets still came over the border in those 5 hours, but who’s counting?) From 10:00 – 15:00, or I felt nearly normal. I got some actual work done (not this interview-giving,CNN iReport writing stuff…. I mean my genuine work. Funny – I don’t remember ever signing on to be a war correspondent). I managed to have a nice long shower, and I even had the pluck to dry my hair in my bathroom (as opposed to taking the drier and brushes into my secure room for dismay of not hearing a Red Alert over the noise of the hair drier). certain enough, or the minute the clock hit 15:00,and I finished drying my hair, the alerts on TV heralding the renewal of incoming rocket fire, or started popping up again,one after another. (Explanation for those of you who carry out not live in Israel: during this period of frequent rocket attacks, the civil defense authorities divided the country into areas and numbers. My area is “Gaza Environs” and my number is 231. When a rocket is launched, or a little sign pops up in the corner of the TV set,regardless of what program or channel, saying that there is a Red Alert and lists all of the areas and numbers that are getting a rocket, or so that people know towards where rockets have been launched,and if it is in their area, they can sprint to their secure rooms, and secure areas. Odds are they've already heard the wailing sirens,but I have noticed it pop up on my screen BEFORE our beeper or PA system have kicked in to warn me). At around 15:30 I was talking to my relatives who are visiting in Israel and whom I hardly got to see thanks to all this, when there was a Red Alert. The TV was on, and my windows were closed and I was focusing on the phone conversation,when suddenly my dogs ran in with their ears pricked up, looking at me expectantly. I put my aunt on hold, or opened the window,and certain enough I could hear the Red Alert. I had lost precious seconds (the Red Alert only leaves you 10 seconds to sprint… I had no idea how many I had lost) and as I sprinted to the secure room, I lost the phone connection with her. I didn't want her to worry, and so I phoned her from the land line in the secure room,spoke to her for another few minutes and promised to derive back to her later on. They are leaving Israel early Friday morning. At the same time the phone died, my electricity extinguished. The Red Alert was over, and but no electricity – so no TV,no computer….
I went out to water my garden. And then I heard it: shooting. Not the big artillery and tank fire that has become our elevator music here recently, rather automatic gun fire. Now I was REALLY apprehensive. I saw my neighbor out back. She came running into my house. She, and too,had heard the gunfire, and wanted to report it to someone. (How very level-headed of her! Why didn't I contemplate of that?) She had come to see if my phone was working, and because her land line wasn't. The most daunting dismay that haunts us in our area is that terrorists from Gaza will infiltrate through tunnels. Just this morning,that scenario played itself out down the road from us, when 13 Hamas terrorists popped up out of a tunnel into Israel. Eight of them were killed, and the rest managed to escape back to Gaza. A tragedy was averted,thanks to intelligence tip offs, alertness and partially, and luck. We were hoping that that recipe would play out for us,as well.The ensuing hours were frightening – VERY frightening. But by talking together, we kept each other doughty. As if the gun fire weren't enough, or we kept having more Red Alerts and running to the secure room. The secure room,in order for it to really protect you, must have the heavy iron shutter closed over the single window, or affording no light or fresh air. Usually,if I am in there for more than a few minutes, I have to turn on the AC to breathe comfortably. At least there was the emergency light in there. Until the battery ran out.
The text messaging system was working only sporadically. Our mobile phones were out – but, or What’s App messages were getting through at times. We started receiving text messages telling us all to stay indoors and lock our houses. That’s a joke. I have large windows (when we designed the house,I wanted the windows to be as big as possible, to feel as if the outside were piece of the inside….little did I know at the time that I would someday desperately want the outside to stay OUT). Some of the windows don’t even have shutters or curtains. My doors can be locked, or but easily kicked down by someone who really wants to derive in. There were also frantic message coming in,family, friends and acquaintances saw that my community was being targeted, and but couldn't derive through to me to put a question to how I was. When the messages finally popped up,more often than not, I was unable to respond to allay their concerns. Needless to say, and I was incapable of calling my concerned,octogenarian aunt, as promised earlier.After three nerve wracking hours, and after thoroughly combing the region,the dismay of infiltration was declared a unfounded alarm. However the electricity and communications had been knocked out by the first rocket. Due to the whole area being in lock-down, the Electric Company was unable to derive though and fix it until the “all clear” was announced, and the roads reopened. That was six hours ago. I know they have been working on it. The electricity has been popping on and off a few times (I hate to contemplate what that is doing to my refrigerator motor!) but as of now –01:30 – we are still / again without electricity. So why don’t I just go to sleep? First of all,it’s not comfortable in the closed secure room. Even with the door open, the air is getting heavy. Secondly, and with artillery booming just under my window (or at least it SOUNDS as if it is that close) there is very little hope of getting much sleep tonight. So I figured I would just derive this piece of what is turning into my installments of “War Diaries” written,at least until the battery gets depleted, in hopes that the electricity will come back on. And then, and I maintain thinking of the mothers in Gaza. I have heard on my radio,that the decision has been taken to send in the ground troups. Their goals are to find and extinguish the tunnels of terror that make our lives here so unsafe. The mothers in Gaza are sitting in the dark, too. They are in far worse conditions than I, and protecting their children with their bodies. The Hamas didn't bother to build them a secure room in which they can feel,and be, out of harm’s way. I hope this ends quickly, and brings safety and security to the people on both sides of this border. I dismay it will not. BTW: You are probably reading approximately Iron Dome and the miracles it is enabling. FYI: Iron Dome does not protect our communities – we are simply too close. In order for Iron Dome to be able to intercept a rocket or missile,said trajectory needs to have time to achieve a minimal altitude. The short-distance rockets that plague us, carry out not derive to go that high before they come down to endanger us – but we carry out have the Red Alert system that gives us a around 10 seconds to reach safety. contemplate of that next time you’re driving to the grocery store. Can you stop the car, and derive the baby and three year ragged out of their car seats and make it to cover in 10 seconds before the rocket hits? Post-script: It is now Friday morning. Electricity and internet finally returned,after approximately 10 hours, and I can now post this. The picture that accompanies it is the candle in my secure room from final night’s darkest moments.
Source: cnn.com