weekend of demo

Sabtu, 10 Jan 2009: Dari Manchester ke Hyde Park, London

1. Akhirnya masa yang ditunggu2 tiba....coach bertolak seawal 7 pagi dari Manchester. Kalo tak silap hampir 6 buah coach dari Manchester yang sama2 menyertai demo marching to Israeli embassy...sejukssssss betul..huhu..tengok weather forecast, London memang sejuk membeku..brrr...

2. Kebanyakan penumpang yang ada dalam couch saya adalah british2 yang mewakili Manchester Stop War society....sungguh berkobar2 mereka ini..siap pakai 'kafeyya' Palestin tu and all the way to London, mereka sungguh khusyu' berbincang mengenai isu Gaza ni...sungguh komited..kagum saya...

3. Kami sampai di London dalam jam 11 lebih......Hyde Park sudah dipenuhi dengan manusia..macam2 golongan, macam2 rupa, tak kira apa agama dan bangsa....

bendera macam rainbow tu adalah bendera golongan2 sejenis..mereka pun turut sama2 menyertai bantahan terhadap zionist ni.

4. acara bermula dengan ucapan speaker2 jemputan selama sejam..antaranya bekas pemimpin Britain, celebrities (annie lennox??), dan half-sister isteri Tony Blair..all speeches were very inspiring and my fave sentence was "this is not about muslim vs jews, it's not about islam vs jewish but this is all about humanity! stop the genocide and holocaust now..and this is why we are all here!"

5. semakin ramai yang datang...nasib baik kami antara yang terawal...masih nampak lah stage kt depan tu walopn kecik je nampak speaker2 nye..tapi rasa terhimpit2 jugak lah...dah lah kecik je...diorg ni sume tinggi2..adeh...tenggelam2..

6. selepas sejam, marching ke Isreali embassy pun bermula....kali ni lagi riuh...sume orang pn nak ke depan...what a big crowd..people came from over the place in UK..

7. Cuaca yang menggigit2 tulang terutamanya jari tangan dan kaki tidak menghalang sume orang untuk menyertai national demo ni..

8. Dalam kami menuju ke Israeli embassy, snowflakes turun..wah........snow rahmat..London kan jarang snow..lepas snow dah turun ni, sejuk tu kurang lah sket..alhamdulillah..

ini muka orang tengah sejuk + tak sangka dapat rasa sedikit snow di London + tak sangka berada di dalam hampir 150, 000 crowd (they claimed this is the biggest demo for Palestine ever in the Britain's history)

9. Sampai berdekatan dengan Isreali embassy, langkah semakin perlahan...sume orang berhenti dan melaungkan kata2 meng'condemn' Israel..despite ade barisan polis di hadapan gate tu, few people managed to get through and panjat tembok sambil mengibarkan bendera Palestin...

10. Saya dapat sampai ke tengah2 crowd..fuhh...memang sesak.bertolak2an..orang2 yang berdiri atas tembok embassy tu membakar banner yang tertulis Israel mengundang sorakan dari semua orang...siap ada yang bawa kasut dan melemparkan ke arah embassy....

11. berlaku sedikit pertempuran dekat depan tu..kami yang kat tengah ni ditolak2 ke belakang..huuu..inilah yang paling tidak diingini..we hope that this rally will end in peace without any violence kan...tadi penganjur pun dah pesan, kalo dah berada di depan israeli embassy tu jangan lama2 sgt berhenti..bagi laluan kepada ribuan orang yang kt blakang tu...kalo ikutkan hati, memang hangin je duduk kt depan embassy ni lama2..

12. akhirnye dapat juga saya keluar dari crowd yang berhimpit2 tu....fuh....masa tengah berjalan mengikut laluan yang ditetapkan, berbelas2 anggota polis sedang berlari2 ke arah embassy sambil membawa perisai diorg..cam dalam filem plak..ahaks..ramai yang dok menjerit2 ke arah polis tadi: "shame on u! shame on u!"....keskeskes..

13. kirenye kami berarak mengelilingi Hyde Park yang besar ni...saya pun tak tahu kat mana saya jalan sampailah ternmpak tempat yang mula2 kami start berjalan tadi..akhirnye...

14.lebih kurang dua jam jugak kot berjalan.dari kol 1.30-3.30 ptg...di stage tadi tu, beberapa org speaker memberikan ucapan.....

15. di masa ketika ramai berkumpul di depan stage mendengar ucapan dari speaker2 jemputan, beribu2 lagi orang masih sedang berarak...

16. jam 4.30 ptg, kami kene berkumpul semula utk ke couch utk pulang ke manchester..nasib baik pakcik tu dah bagi map utk tnjk kt mana berkumpul..dah gelap2 dan bersesak ni, susah nak cam tempatnye....

17.sepatutnye coach bertoalak jam 5 ptg..tapi ade beberapa orang penumpang yang masih takde lagi..sesat kot..

18. tunggu punye tunggu, akhirnye mereka tiba...diorg kate ade riot and polis tutup beberapa laluan...hmm..berlaku jugak riot.sorang polis pengsan, beberapa orang cedera dan cermin starbucks pun jadi mangsa...pecah berderai..

19. Alhamdulillah, kami sampai ke Manchester dalam jam 10 mlm......(otot2 perut dah sakit...)

kalo nak lihat citer2 dan video2 masa demo hari tu, boleh klik di sini.

Ahad, 11 Jan 2 009: Demo Pro-palestine vs Pro-Zionist

1. Asalnya orang2 pro-zionist yang merancang untuk melakukan perhimpunan di tempat kami berkumpul minggu lepas di manchester (di London, mereka juga melakukan perhimpunan ini di Trafalgar Square)

2. Jadi kami pun merancang untuk berkumpul di tempat yang sama juga pada hari tersebut (mendebarkan juga)..

3. Bila saya cakap dengan parents saya yang saya nak pergi ke counter demo ni, mereka agak risau...hehe..saya tau batasan saya....kite bukan nak cari gaduh kan, cume nak menyedarkan mereka ape yang mereka perjuangkan tu jauh tersasar dari kebenaran..semoga mereka diberikan petunjuk..huhu....sebenarnya saya teringin nak tengok apakah yang akan mereka tulis di banner2 mereka tu...

4. masa mula2 sampai berdekatan dgn kawasan tu, saya tak nampak pun kelibat bendera palestine dan banner2 seangkatan dengannye....yang saya nampak sekumpulan manusia memegang bendera menyampah tu dengan polis yang siap berkawal di sekeliling albert square ni..fuh..pakai banyak polis tu..takut jugak mereka sebenarnye kan...

5. satu perkara yang saya tak boleh lupe..masa saya naik bus dari cheetam hill menuju ke city center, ada sorang makcik ni memandang saya dengan pandangan yang begitu membencikan...dalam hati, saya dok tanya, aku ni ade buat salah dengan die ke? memang saya perasan die pandang je saya sepanjang perjalanan tu..sampai lah die turun..dalam masa saya dan kawan saya duduk merisik2 di mana kedudukan org2 pro-palestine yang lain, saya terserempak dengan makcik ni..ahaha....keskeskes....masa saya lalu di sebelah dia, saya dengar die cakap kat kawan dia, 'i saw her in the bus..blabla..' rupa2nya makcik ni org2 yg nk gi perhimpunan pro-zionist ni...die hangin tengok saya dan kawan saya kot..kui3..kiteorg pakai 'kafeyya' palestine tu, siap dgn masing2 ade badge kt baju..dan kawan saya kebetulan pegang banner:stop massacre in gaza..no wonder lah bagi pandangan maut kan..haha....tapi memang saya rasa agak berdebar masa sampai city tu..rasa macam sume orang tengok kami je....masa kiteorg lalu kt dpn strabucks pn, hampir sume orang bagi pandangan semacam..huu....

6. akhirnye saya nmpak orang bawa bndera palestine dan banner di satu sudut berseberangan dengan perhimpunan pro-zionist tu.polis berkawal di dua2 belah pihak....thanx to police sbb tak halau kami..sebenarnye, pro-zionist ni dh dapat permit nk buat perhimpunan, kami ni dengan berani nye datang buat perhimpunan jugak..nasib baik tak kene halau kan..

7. ..sambil diorg berhimpun tu, kami pun melaung2kan: shame on you, terrorists!, free free palestine, down down Israel dan yang seangkatan dengannya...

8. tak lama pun diorg berhimpun.. (ape je yang diorg nak cakap kan?? keskeskes) kitoerg stay situ sampai diorang pergi.......bile diorg mula bergerak je, kami menjerit: 'go home, terrorist!'....

membara je tgk diorg punya poster dan bendera..ada satu poster tu diorg letak gambar kanak-kanak palestin yang dah terkorban dan tulis kt situ "children scarifice"..apekah???????? children were victimised! kebanyakan banner diorg ditulis: "Hamas is terrorist"

9. yang paling tak tahan, ade 4 orang makcik2 tua ni berjalan ke arah side kiteorg...boleh je kan nak ikut jalan lain..sambil jalan tu, ade sorg tu siap tunjuk bendera zionist sambil cakap 'chase me, chase me'..memang saje nk provoke kiteorg kan...ape lagi, few people pun nak kejar lah diorg tu....polis pun cpt2 datang...makcik2 tadi tu pn mencecet lari...diorg tahu polis ada kan, sebab tu berani buat mcm tu...fuh..alhamdulillah takde riot...

10. selepas hampir sume orang pro-zionist tadi beredar, kami pun beredar..puas hati jugak lah sebab bukan ramai yang datang pun...BBC plak penipu besar! diorg kate ade 2000 orang pro-zionist yang datang, dan 150 orang anti-zionist...2000??? mimpi lah...walopn saya ni tak berapa pandai utk guess crowd, ramai yang kate org2 yg hadir tak cukup seribu pun, nak kate 500 ratus pn susah...hampeh betul BBC ni..bila lah nak sedar???????????

SELEPAS DEMO, APE??

hmm...ade orang tanya, korang demo2 ni, dapat ape? sakit otot perut sbb menjerit, kering anak tekak, kejang2 jari kaki dan tangan?

melalui demo ini, macam2 info yang kite dapat...tujuan demo ini pun bukan sekadar memecah kan anak tekak menjerit2, tapi untuk membuatkan orang lain sedar akan isu ini...dan juga menunjukkan bantahan kite terhadap zionist...dengan menghadirkan diri setiap hari untuk vigil di luar BBC tu, semakin banyak info yg selama ni kurang jelas, dapat dijelaskan..lagi2 saya pun tak punya begitu banyak masa untuk membelek setiap news....(perjuangan menuntut ilmu pun sama penting..itu tujuan utama saya berada di sini).

dan...banyak lagi usaha yang boleh dilakukan..hendak seribu daya, tak nak seribu dalih kan.....

berdoa, infaq (berbagai cara sudah dah disediakan..takde alasan lagi..), boycott! (ade kebaikan juga lah saya ni buta brg2 branded yang kebanyakannye dari US tu...saya jugak tak suka minum ape2 yg kaitan dgn coffee ni, jadi takdelah heran sangat dengan starbucks tu)...dan yang penting cuba cari info2 tentang palestine ni...macam mana kita mencari mcm2 rujukan untuk belajar, begitulah juga untuk isu ini.......kita bukan hidup seorang di dunia ni dan tidak mungkin kita dapat hidup berseorangan tanpa orang lain..hari ni hari mereka..hari kita???????

~Palestine will be ours back one day!~

luar biasa.......

sepanjang minggu lepas dan minggu ni
banyak benda yang agak luar biasa (bagi saya kot........)
Suhu adalah melampau2 sejuk luar biasa
siang2 suhu kurang dari 1 degree C
malam2 ada kawasan yang hampir mencecah suhu serendah -12 degree C
memang tahap tak tau nk cakap ape..

disebabkan suhu yang jatuh serendah itu di waktu malam
maka, tidur saya pun agak luar biasa
selalunye letak je kepala dah boleh terlelap
tapi sebab sejuk sgt, hampir jadi insomnia plak...huhu
terguling sana, terguling sini, pusing sana, pusing sini
dok tang tu gak.....
bila waktu tidur jadi luar biasa
nak bangun pun jadi luar biasa susahnya....
hopefully suhu luar biasa akan menjadi biasa sedikit tak lama lagi
otot2 pun dah tak boleh mengecut..
tahap pengecutan dah semaksima habis......takut ter'over' kecut, nanti dah tak boleh mengembang semula..eekkkkkk..ade ke?

dengan cuaca sejuk yang luar biasa ni
alhamdulillah..saya cuba utk hadir ke everyday vigil to protest against Zionist di luar BBC...
jam 5.30-6.30 ptg mmg luar biasa sejuk..
dan juga luar biasa utk saya berada di luar rumah selewat ini (bagi saya) di waktu winter2 sebegini..
sebab jam 4 ptg sudah gelap..apetah lagi jam 6, waktu isya' pun sudah masuk
selalunya saya tak berani untuk balik terlalu lewat seorang diri...

tapi disebabkan melihat makcik2 dan pakcik2 mat saleh(dah pangkat nenek dan datuk sebenarnye)
yang luar biasa gigih datang setiap hari berdemo, vigil, bagi leaflet kat orang ramai
saya rasa takde alasan utk saya tak hadir juga...
jadi haruslah memberanikan diri sedikit balik lagi lambat dari biasa..
kalo time summer, balik kol 8 mlm mmg tak jadi masalah since hari masih cerah...
tapi sirius, kagum melihat luar biasa dedikasinye makcik2 dan pakcik2 mat saleh ini memberikan sokongan terhadap vigil ni
berdiri selama sejam dalam keadaan sejuk luar biasa,
jari2 kaki dan tangan saya pun jadi 'numb' walopn dah pakai glove dan stokin yang tebal
keskeskes......

insyaAllah esok kami akan bergerak ke London untuk menyertai National Demonstration: March on the Israeli embassy.....
last week dalam 5000 orang yang menyertai demo di Manchester ni
dan dengar kata nya ada dalam hampir 20000 yang berada di London minggu lps...
hopefully cuaca tidak lah terlalu luar biasa di London tu...brrrr......


dalam semua orang sibuk menyertai demo menentang Zionist yang kejam ni..
ade pulak insan (insan ke?) yang cuba mengadakan demo pro-zionist plak (luar biasa?)
apakah?? anak sape lah ni kan...memang luar biasa dari yang biasa....
tapi padanlah muka diorg...hari rabu hari tu diorg cuba buka booth utk tujuan ini tapi since tak dapat sambutan, terpaksalah ditutup...muahahaha
hari Ahad ni, diorg nak buat secara besar-besaran di tempat yang sama kami buat minggu lepas..
kite tgk camne....ramai ke yang nak sokong diorg ni?
dan ahad ni juga, kami akan mengadakan perhimpunan di tempat yang sama....
adakah sesuatu yang luar biasa akan terjadi?? hmm.........

dan...
dah tak mampu mendengar berita2 dari Gaza....
beratus2 terkorban, tercedera....
sekadar meminjam kata2 dari seorang adik di sini: Kemenangan yang abadi telah pun bersama pejuang Palestin. Menang atau terbunuh, Allah sudah janjikan tiket ke Syurga, direct flight lagi. Adakah kita hanya tengok saja pesawat berlepas, seolah-olah kita pun dah confirm ada tiket?Cuma takut terkulai di darat sebelum sempat naik flight lagi..


teruskan berdoa dan boikot Israel....
~sabar, usaha, doa, tawakkal, yakin....insyaAllah, sesuatu yang luar biasa akan menjelma~

p/s: bape banyak perkataan 'luar biasa' agaknye dalam entry kali ni? haha...xde keje..

Gaza..Gaza..don't u cry, we shall never let you die!

Sabtu....3 Jan 2009
hampir seluruh bahagian UK mengadakan demonstrasi memprotes serangan Zionis ke atas Gaza sejak hampir seminggu yang lepas
kalo tak silap saya, hampir 21 tempat di UK mengadakan demo ini
termasuk di Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield etc
dan di London mereka mengadakan National demo and rally.....

dah lama sebenarnya saya ingin menyertai demo2 untuk Palestin sebegini
cume belum ada peluang....
alhamdulillah, tercapai juga hasrat....
peluang sebegini mmg rugi kalau disia2kan
apatah lagi demo ini tidak dihalang oleh pihak polis dan juga pemerintah2 di sini
(that's what we call kebebasan bersuara!)
malahan mereka banyak memberikan bantuan ketika demo dan rally ini dilangsungkan bagi memastikan keadaan sentiasa terkawal....

jam 12 tgh hari, kawasan All Saints Park sudah mula dipenuhi....
sume peringkat umur ada dari baby yang tido di dalam stroller sehinggalah atuk yang memerlukan tongkat untuk berjalan...
muslims and non-muslims sume berhimpun di sini
dengan satu tujuan yang sama...
atas dasar perikemanusiaan......
dan saya juga tertarik bila melihat golongan kaum sejenis turut sama menyertai demo dan rally ini
lihat bagaimana mereka semua mengenepikan kepentingan diri sendiri untuk sama2 menentang kekejaman zionis
perbezaan agama, politik bukanlah penghalang!
tepuk dada, tanya selera...



memandangkan waktu solat zohor masuk jam 12.10 tgh hr
kaum muslim menunaikan solat zohor secara berjemaah dahulu di park ini
memohon pada Allah agar diberkati apa yang bakal kami lakukan dan perjuangkan nanti....
cuaca yang sangat sejuk bukan penghalang..
sepanjang demo ini berlangsung, kami semua berada di bwh suhu kurang dari 2 degree....
itu bukan alasan untuk tidak menyertai demo ini....
saudara2 di Palestin itu lebih sukar keadaannya
dah tiba masanya untuk kite semua keluar dari 'zon selesa' kita selama ini....


selesai solat
sume berkumpul..
mendengar bicara beberapa pemimpin dan figura2 di manchester (even pelakon drama terkenal di manchester ni pun turut sama berucap!)
selesai ucapan...
langkah diatur memulakan laungan...
banner2...bendera palestin dikibarkan.....
macam2 perasaan ada ketika ini..
bersemangat....sebak...marah....

antara laungan2 bersemangat yang kami laungkan bersama sepanjang rally ini:

Free..free...PALESTINE!

1,2,3,4....occupation no MORE!

5,6,7,8...Israel is a terrorist state!

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be FREE!

no justice, no peace!


Kami berjalan menuju ke city centre...
sebelah laluan dari Oxford Road sampai ke city centre ditutup dan dikawal oleh polis bagi memberi laluan kepada kami semua...
sambil melaungkan ungkapan2 tadi
hampir kering anak tekak ni...
hidung pn sudah mula berair...
cuaca pun bertambah2 sejuk....
salah seorang dari mereka yang mengetuai laungan ini sudah hampir kehilangan suara
namun beliau masih tetap bersemangat


Berhenti seketika di BBC dan melaungkan kata2 supaya BBC lebih bersikap adil dan transparent serta menyiarkan secara tepat ape yang sedang berlaku di Gaza


Boikot Starbucks!



sedar tak sedar lebih kurang 1 km kami berarak
final stop adalah di Town Hall
di mana sudah tersedia sebuah stage
ucapan2 bersemangat diberikan beserta perkembangan2 terkini di Gaza...

Alhamdulillah, mass rally ini berakhir dgn aman...
demo ini akan diteruskan lagi selama sejam setiap hari mulai Isnin, 5Dec....
I wish I can do more than this to help the Palestinians..
doa, infaq...insyaAllah moga lebih baik dari tidak berbuat apa2, apa entah lagi mengambil peduli...

kisah2 lain Gaza demo di UK, boleh baca di: London, Sheffield.....acara membaling kasut di UK

dan hari ini, Zionis telah melancarkan serangan darat pula ke atas Gaza....ya Allah, teruskan memberi ketabahan dan kesabaran kepada rakyat2 Palestin..........AllahuAkbar!

Gaza..Gaza..don't you cry..We shall NEVER let you die! Free PALESTINE!

antara lain yang boleh kita lakukan untuk membantu:
1. Mendoakan agar ALLAH memberi pertolongan kepada umat Islam di Palestin dan di seluruh pelusuk dunia yang ditindas.
2. Menghulurkan bantuan kemanusiaan melalui NGO-NGO antaranya AMAN Palestin http://www.amanpalestin.org
3. Memboikot barangan yang dikeluarkan oleh syarikat yang menyokong rejim zionis seperti yang disarankan oleh laman web ini http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-israel.php
4. Menyebarkan maklumat2 kepada semua umat Islam

ayuh! kalau bukan kita, siapa lagi.......

The least we can do

Donate now.....help them to survive........



A worth-reading story from one of our brothers in Gaza now.....May Allah give them strength......Ameennn...

source : Al-jazeera.net

Gaza diary: Psychological harm

By Mohammed Ali

The number of Palestinians injured in Israel's war on Gaza continues to rise [GALLO/GETTY] As the death toll from Israel's war on Gaza continues to climb, Mohammed Ali, an advocacy and media researcher for Oxfam who lives in Gaza City, will be keeping a diary of his experiences. Day 4 - Immeasurable psychological damage At midnight last night, I was sitting by my wife and two children who were fast asleep: there was an hour of quiet; no drones, no attacks. I thought to myself "could this be the calm before the storm?" All of a sudden, I heard 10 missiles in a row and my house began to shake once more. My wife awoke in a panic and my small son looked at me with terror in his eyes, he did not say a word. At 2am there was a total black out in the Gaza Strip, except for the light caused by Israeli attacks. At some point we must have fallen asleep. "What have [the children] done to deserve having their precious innocence destroyed? How will this affect them in the future?" Mohammed, Gaza City As soon as we awoke, we went for breakfast at my parents. My sister told us how her youngest daughter, Nada, who is three-and-a-half had that morning begun to draw. Interested by what her child was creating, my sister asked to look at it and motioned to take the picture for a moment "No!" cried Nada pointing at a drawing of an airplane, "stop, this could kill you!" This caused me to pause for thought at all the immeasurable psychological damage that this conflict has caused children; what have they done to deserve having their precious innocence destroyed? How will this affect them in the future? Thankfully, my children do not understand what is happening. Although they often cry from fear, my son, seeing everyone gathered around, staying up late at night, thinks that we are having a party, he jumps around us and laughs, asking himself, "Why are you all together here?" Every time my phone rings, he dances around to the ring tone. Usually, my wife and I leave him with my mother when we go to work but for a few days straight now we have spent every moment with him. It started raining, I comforted myself for just one moment with the thought that maybe, just maybe, the rain would stop the attacks but of course it didn't, and many more lives were soon lost. As I saw on the news the death toll rise, I thought once again, could we all be next? We live in a constant state of fear that is slowly beginning to kill us. Every time the phone rings, my heart skips a beat, what news will it bring? Will it be a friend's, a colleague's a relative's death, injury? Some Gazans are too scared to attend funerals for fear of becoming a casualty [AFP] Sadly, even those who have been killed cannot be mourned properly. I felt immense guilt that I was not able to attend my neighbour's funeral, but few did, fearing that they might be the next victims while grieving for another. Even during the three days of mourning at his family home, the house was almost empty. A few hours ago, I was asked abruptly for my phone by my sister-in-law, she wanted to talk to her family immediately, they had just received a call by the Israeli military announcing that their home might be hit during the next attack. She told her family to come over to the home of ours. They might come, they might not. My wife and her brother started arguing earlier today about where they would be most safe in the event of an attack, upstairs with family or downstairs in their own home. I did not want to tell them that their argument was futile; if a missile hit us there would no longer be an upstairs or downstairs. For a moment today, I stepped outside, I saw people sitting outside their homes, running for cover at every sound of an attack. Overhead were helicopters, I soon went back inside fearing the worst. Our lives have been paralysed. Day 3 - Memories destroyed It is the third consecutive night of the Israeli offensive. My two young children, my wife, my sister-in-law, who is staying with us, and I all slept in our living room, which is in the centre of our flat. During the night, there was an average of two air strikes every ten minutes in Gaza City alone. On the television we heard that the Israeli military had hit a mosque in Jabaliya refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip. We were shocked to hear that the shelling caused a house to collapse, killing five sisters inside and injuring all 11 family members. We cried together in the knowledge that no one was safe from the air strikes. We barely slept. Just 500 metres from our home the strikes hit the Islamic University building. I graduated from the Islamic University of Gaza. When I heard that the Israeli F16 missiles had destroyed it, I felt as though my good memories had also been obliterated. I phoned one of my sisters who lives close to the university. She told me: "We are so scared. I don't know where to go, what to do. The explosion shook our entire building." I listened to her but could not find the words to reassure her. How could I? It was obvious that no one was safe. Day 2 - Sleeping with one eye open When I fell asleep on the second night of the Israeli offensive, I was afraid that I may never wake again. So I slept with one eye open, in constant fear for my family's safety. At least once an hour, I was woken by the sound of explosions. I constantly checked on my wife and children, thinking that our home could be the next target of the Israeli jets. In the early hours of the morning, I woke to find my 15-month-old baby walking around the living room sobbing. I rushed over to him and held him in my arms until he fell asleep. My mother called us over for breakfast. All of our family gathered around the table. My mother, who suffers from heart problems, told us all how, whenever a target close to our home was hit during the night, she would wake with her heart pounding. Supplies running out It is no secret that the Gaza Strip is heavily dependent on supplies coming from Egypt via tunnels, especially since the Israeli blockade was stepped up in November. So after we heard that the Israeli attacks had targeted the tunnels, my father went off to the grocery store to buy reserve food supplies. "[My father] told us that food prices had tripled because of the destruction of the tunnels" Mohammed, Gaza City When he came back he told us that food prices had tripled because of the destruction of the tunnels. I wanted to buy nappies for my two children. My younger brother went out but struggled to find anything. I thought to myself that it is only a matter of days now until food and fuel becomes unavailable to us all. We heard an announcement from the Israeli government that the attacks on Gaza would continue for a long time in spite of the calls from regional and international bodies and organisations for them to stop. From my home the sound of ambulance sirens is non-stop. Every time I hear an explosion followed by sirens, I think of those ambulances carrying the dead and injured. I am increasingly fearful for my children, family and friends. I think to myself that the next ambulance might be carrying one of my friends, a member of my family, or even me. Day 1 - Black Saturday in Gaza I was at home, lying down on my bed. It was 11.30am; a time when students fill the streets on their way home from school. All of a sudden I heard massive explosions, one after the other. The windows in my bedroom began to shake violently. I jumped out of bed and tried to turn the TV on, but there was no electricity. I ran around frantically, not knowing what to do. In depth Focus Arab street angry over Gaza attacks Reaction: Raids take toll on Gaza Gaza strikes a challenge for Obama Videos Gaza pounded for third straight day US backs Israeli air raids Hospitals in Gaza struggle to cope Your Views Add your voice to the discussion Send us your video views The explosions grew stronger and sounded closer. I went to my front door and looked up at the sky. It was filled with black smoke. While I was searching for people to find out what was going on, someone told me: "The Israeli jets are targeting all police buildings and the homes of Hamas leaders." I later realised that the explosions I had heard was the Al Abbas police station, 300 metres from my home, being targeted. The first thing that came to my mind was to call my wife and to check that my two young children were okay. They had spent the night in Khan Younis, in the south of Gaza, with my wife's family. But the mobile network was down. After 20 minutes of desperate attempts to reach them, I finally talked to my wife who told me that they were very scared but okay. She was crying down the phone to me while watching TV. She said she could see images of dead bodies and that more than 50 people had already been killed. At least now I knew that my wife and children were alive. But what about my three sisters and their children? I eventually reached one of my sisters who started to cry - she still did not know where her children were. An hour later they made it home - scared but unhurt. State of shock As I stood outside my home in a state of shock, I heard women screaming next door. People were running around, crying "Mohammed has been killed". Mohammed Habboush was my 26-year-old neighbour. I felt sad because I knew the guy well. An hour later, I got a message on my mobile telling me that another friend had been killed. My family returned from Khan Younis in the evening. I felt so relieved to see them. We all sat together in front of the television just crying and feeling afraid after every explosion. I tried to pretend that I was fine in order to make my family feel some sort of security, but deep inside I was afraid. At 11pm my wife's mobile rang. It was a recorded voice message from the Israeli army which said: "If you have any kind of weapon in your home, you should evacuate your home immediately as we will target it." At first I told my wife that we should not worry because we don't own any weapons. However, ten minutes later, my father who lives above us, called to say that he had received the same message. At that moment I started to panic.