The Other Side of "Tunnels" and "Hostages" – A Gaza Journalist's Perspective

From beneath the shadow of a constrictive blockade, in the Palestinians’ collective memory, the word 'tunnel' has evolved into a lifeline instead of a mere structure beneath the earth. It echoes not of clandestine operations, but of survival and resilience. For the population of Gaza, the tunnels have become synonymous with necessity and sustenance, a way to maneuver around the iron-clad embargo imposed by Israel that has restricted the flow of essential goods – as random and basic as pasta once was – into their strip of land.

This dispatch does not paint a picture of a dystopian nightmare, but rather narrates the story of daily life experienced by approximately two million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. Under a crippling siege since 2007, these tunnels operate as ‘the Metro’ of Gaza, a vital circulatory system for goods that might seem mundane to the outside world but are precious commodities here. The extent of reliance on these passageways was such that necessities for newborns were ferrying through them, echoing a damning testament to the abnormalcy morphing into routine.

Electricity and clean water, two staples taken for granted by much of the world, are also amongst the deprivations faced by Gazans. With power supplied sparsely for a few hours a day, life stands still in darkness, punctuated by the humming of generators, when affordable and operational. Water, rationed and a scarce commodity, compels many to resort to storage methods antiquated for much of the modern world.

The confinement of Gaza goes beyond physical needs. Restrictions have thwarted freedom of movement, turning trips into ordeals, if not impossible dreams. The journalist’s own thwarted family visit to Egypt elucidates the level of control and unpredictability that governs Gazans’ movements. Their homes are the only expanses they can tread freely, and even this, not without peril as crossfires do not discriminate.

Among definitions that have shifted over time and circumstance, the word 'hostages' bears gravitas in Gaza. It refers not only to Israelis held by militant groups but also to the thousands of Palestinians detained, at times indefinitely, in Israeli prisons. These include children as young as twelve, tried in military courts with conviction rates soaring beyond reasonable belief – embodying a system where due process is the exception, not the rule. Thus, when the term 'hostage' circulates in global media, the residents of Gaza associate it with their own detained kin and community members.

This narrative aims to shed light beyond the tunnel vision of international onlookers — a call to witness life in Gaza through a more humane lens. The land of Gaza, confined and surveilled, has its stories of human endeavors and injustices that require a global stage. The plea is earnest, a voice from the former Gaza journalist who brings forth his lived experience to the forefront, laying out resilience, loss, and hope with an implicit directive: delve deeper, understand more, and judge less.