Friday 13 February 2009

BLOGGING FROM INSIDE PALESTINE - SCENES OF DESTRUCTION

Sometimes the results of the bombing look awesome. A large complex of buildings around the Ministry of Finance completely, and I mean completely, destroyed - just piles of concrete rubble.

Sometimes it is shocking. Office blocks and apartment blocks that have had their sides blown off, with floor after floor left tipping drunkenly. Some areas of flat complexes appear untouched while others have been devastated.

And sometimes the results look almost commonplace: block after block of 8-10 storey apartments, still very much lived in, with chunks taken out, walls of individual flats missing and the space gaping open, black marks from fire scarring the wall above.

"It's a picture of total destruction," says one radio interviewer. But that's not the case: 80pc and more of the buildings are untouched, but some areas suffered much worse than others, and around every corner bad scenes might be visible.

Destroyed buildings are lifeless things though. It is human tears and grief that injects the emotion. People have to live, so they gather what belongings survive, and move away to find a space somewhere where their difficulties are hidden from sight. Their former homes lie derelict, awaiting the bulldozer.

This morning (Friday 13 Feb) the sun shines and there is quite a lot about Gaza to like. Things now are terrible, but this could be a good place to live. It has so much potential.

No comments: