'Only Hamas gunmen walk the deserted streets'

Hazem Balousha, a Gaza-based journalist, gives an eyewitness account of the hardship and danger in a city gripped by chaos

Thursday June 14, 2007
Guardian Unlimited


Hamas supporters celebrate after capturing the headquarters of the Preventative Security Force, which was loyal to the Palestinian president and Fatah leader, Mahmoud Abbas, in Gaza City. Photograph: Abid Katib/Getty Images

Late this afternoon the shooting appeared to die down. It's been going on now for five days - bullets and bombs going off day and night. The most important thing is keeping my niece and nephew occupied. They have heard gunfire at weddings before, so I have told them it's just a big wedding.

They replied that it was such a big wedding that it must be the president's. If only they knew - he has other matters on his mind at the moment.

But worse than the noise of war is the noise of loudspeakers at the mosque. They are saying: "We are Hamas. We are the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades. We will defeat Fatah. We will liberate Gaza from the collaborators and the traitors." The loudspeaker is never quiet.

We live close to the intelligence headquarters, which has been under attack. The loudspeakers call on the fighters to surrender. If they do, they will survive, if they don't they will be killed.

My apartment is on the fourth floor, but it is too exposed and dangerous so I moved to my parents' place on the ground floor, which has some cover. Since Sunday, several bullets have hit my apartment and the windows have been smashed. When the shooting stops for five or 10 minutes, I try and take a look out the window. The streets are deserted of cars and people. Only the Hamas gunmen are walking the streets. Everyone else is holed up inside.

This chaos did not come as a big surprise, so we have been stocking food. We have no bread, but my mother is trying to make some now. The electricity lasted until last night and there has been none since.

Suddenly there is a new announcement from the mosque. "Hamas have taken the intelligence headquarters." Earlier this week, it was hard to tell the fighters apart. You could see masked men wearing black T-shirts, flak jackets and camouflage trousers. They carried rifles, grenade launchers and mortar tubes. Now it's clear who is who. The Hamas fighters are kneeling in prayer, congratulating each other and greeting onlookers. The Fatah men are being led from the building, hands in the air, some stripped to the waist. It is unclear what will happen to them.

There may be a bit of quiet for a while, but it won't last. Israel will now have new excuses to attack Gaza. With Hamas in control of Gaza, no one will be able to stop Israel. Even though Fatah seem to be doing badly at the moment, they are not finished and this is not the last round.

My eldest brother is close to Hamas and he seems happy with the way things are going. My other brother is more pragmatic, he is concerned about his businesses and the future. Some are saying Gaza will be sealed off now, isolated from the world like a new Taliban state. Personally, I think this is a disaster. I might leave. I have visas for Ireland and the UK, but the border is closed.