Gaza: Where every day is a miracle

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman visits Gaza's Kerem Shalom crossing, the strip's main commercial border terminal, July 22, 2018. [Reuters]

Armed with a pistol, a mobile phone, walkie talkie and an infectious sense of humour, the grandfather with greying pony-tailed hair points at a corner in his office and declares:

“Look at the kind of gifts our neighbhours sent me. These are shrapnels of rockets meant to harm me and my people but I am not bitter.” 
And with a beguiling smile Ami Shaked adds, “I am not bitter that the people who want me dead have dreams. I too have mine but it is not always safe to announce what you dream at night”. 
Turning his back to his audience comprising of 23 journalists from East and Central Africa, the general manager at the border explains that life at Kerem Shalom Gaza crossing point is like an orchestra.

Heavily guarded

This is the managing director entrusted by Benjamin Ntenyahu’s government to control the only crossing point to Gaza strip. He marches his guests out of his heavily guarded office where even toilets are ring-fenced with concrete embarkments that are over ten metres high.

Before marching past one of the steel gates he issues a string of instructions to his charges and explains how his team of civilians carry out their delicate job of checking truckloads being ferried into Gaza.

On a normal day, he says, he lets through about 700 trucks loaded with goods in and out of Gaza, where an estimated 2 million people live in squalor under the iron fist of Hamas.

In July this crossing was the subject of heated debate at the United Nations after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Ntenyahu ordered it closed following attacks by Hamas who launched explosive kites and balloons from Gaza. Shaked says the old crossing point made of glass was destroyed by missiles from Gaza.

After the assault, Israeli forces moved 800 metres into the Gaza strip and flattened a base that was being used by snippers and crested a buffer zone. Every day about 70 Palestinians travel from Gaza strip crossing point. Here their boss is Shaked.

Their work is to load cargo before inspection - they are however paid by Palestinian authorities.

Theirs too is a dangerous flirtation with death for when bombs, rockets or snippers rain fire towards Israel, they too are not discriminated against Shaked philosophises; although the Israeli and Palestinians work side by side, trust and love is not part of the game. They are united by mutual suspicion even as they screen the trucks and cargo.

The goal is to minimise contact between the Israelis and the Palestinians and eradicate the threat of hostage taking.

So every morning trucks loaded with food supplies are the first to be driven through a buffer zone closely monitored by Israeli radars and soldiers with cameras behind heavily reinforced observation posts. Once the drivers are photographed and the Shekels men are satisfied that they pose no danger they driven into a big compound surrounded by high concrete walls.

Then the Palestine drivers leave the trucks unmanned but with their generators running to ensure agricultural products stays fresh in the hot desert climate.

Inside the compound a gigantic scanner electronically slides through, engulfing the trailers. No photos are allowed in the scanning zone. Satisfied that there are no explosives or other contrabands the drivers then drive them into yet another compartment. There is absolutely no contact between the Israelis and their neighbours.

“What goes in and out of Gaza is determined by a list submitted daily by Palestinian authorities,” says Shaked. “There are attempts to smuggle bomb making chemicals, military uniform and guns”.

He adds: “If I am killed today, my prime minister will talk about it for a short time but if Hamas captures me or one of my men, this will lead to a serious crisis. I must safeguard their safety and at the same time ensure supplies still flow for not all residents of Gaza are bad.”  

Although cement is not categorised as a harmful product its transportation in Gaza is restricted because Israel fears that it is being used to make tunnels.

The tunnels, according to Israel intelligence are for smuggling weapons and terrorists to attack Israel.  

Back at Kerem Shalom crossing point, before any merchandise is allowed past the crossing point in and out of Gaza, the border guards have to be unloaded. To ensure there are no bombs hidden in the trucks, the cargo is unloaded in an empty compartment.

The lorry and the loaders then leave the compartment and sniffer dogs are used to go through it again even after it has been checked by machines. At times this takes place has bombs and rockets fly overhead. “It is daily war,” Shekel, a retired Israeli soldier says.

“King Abdallah of Jordan imports a trick of furniture every month through this crossing. It is nothing personal, this is purely business.”

Even as he explains this a big white balloon glides high in the sky. This we are told is equipped with high tech equipment and cameras that are used by the Israeli defense forces to deter attacks.

Shaked, who says he fears nothing is however concerned about the deployment of “crude technology,” which defies the iron dome. This is the technology deployed by Israel to detect, warn and intercept missiles fired by Isis and Hamas. Along the highway to the Gaza crossing point we are shown patches of burnt grasslands and pastures which were fired from Gaza.

Besides every bus stop along the highway are bomb shelters where commuters have a few seconds to dash before they are torn to pieces.

The Israelis leaving in Gaza are more afraid of kites and balloons than bombs and snippers. 

At the Kerem Shalom crossing point, everyday the silence of the rockets and the roar of trucks laden with supplies does not mean peace. Fingers are forever on the trigger and nobody knows for how long.

Here at at the battle front near Gaza nothing is what it seems as civilians are armed and in charge of their destiny. Children too have learnt to scamper when they see a kite or a balloon fly near them but such is life.

In the meantime, as each of the 700 trucks drive in and out of the heavily manned gates the Israeli treasury officials collect taxes which they later submit to Palestinian authorities.