A Little Painful Perspective!

Since 2007, Israel has inflicted its brutal siege upon the heart-trodden one million and a half Palestinian in the Gaza Strip as part of its warfare policy. Since then, the situation has not changed at all, not even a crumb. In contrast, Israel relentlessly is further intensifying the blockade and preventing even the lowest form of life from reaching the besieged Gazans. A 22-day assault waged by Israeli murderous forces came on top of this siege, in which more than 1.500 civilians were killed.

On hearing about the plight of the Gaza Strip-especially if referred to the physical ambiance of the Strip as most true prison, one may take this as a dramatization of the situation or a magnification of a non-issue. Oh, alas, I wish it was true! But the fact, undoubtedly, is that the Palestinian in Gaza are moaning under the cruelty of the Israeli jailor.

On the one hand, I was once wandering onshore at night, deeply roaming in my thoughts and staring at the sadly moving waves of the sea. All was motionless except that in the distance, the waves were lapping against a few dimly lighted fishing boats scattered at the body of the sea. At first, I got awe-stricken by the sight of the sea being dressed in the nightgown, but then I probed the affectionate attitude of the sea towards those distressed boats. I could touch the grievance of the long mourning waves, as well as its sympathy for those blockaded boats—the boats which were cautiously loitering along the sea as if they were thoughtful of the limit line drawn by the Israeli naval forces.

As I was fishing myself out of my cares sea, suddenly a painful reality struck my mind. It was the fact that reminded me of the heartless siege; the boats had no courage to move further into the sea. The lights, in the distance, imparted an extra element to the appalling reality, and again—again I jolted as I was gazing in fear at the blobs lining horizontally all within my sight. The lights were unquestionably forced to demarcate the terminal area allowed by the jail keeper, and thus, the entire west side of Gaza is actually beset.

In actual fact, the situation is a concrete reality. Fishermen, who are tenaciously fighting to secure their subsistence, are continually exposed to the aggression and the infringement of Israeli naval forces. Israelis prohibit fishermen from fishing further in their own water; the distance has been reduced to the utmost of 3 miles.

On the other hand, about a couple of weeks ago, my friend, living on the northern edge of the Gaza Strip, invited me to visit him. I happily accepted his invitation. After the night had fallen, I asked him to go out in the open air, and we actually did. There I had a flashback of lights, but I tried hard to neglect it. The view far in the distance would not abandon my mind. Once again, unfortunately, I had been reminded of the heartbreaking reality as I could sorrowfully observe the very long line of settlements' lights being guarded by Israeli military jeeps which were vigilantly moving along the border.

Equally, too, either the south or the east, the electrified barbed wire fences are cruelly extended alongside the borders. The Israeli seems to have got the talent for perfectly designing prisons! Perhaps the map got terrified when the Israelis had charted the Gaza prison!