"fire also upon rescue"

Photo courtesy of tales to tell.

"Rules of Engagement: Open fire also upon rescue."

The note was handwritten in Hebrew on a sheet of paper found inside a home in Gaza, taken over by IDF soldiers during Operation Cast Lead. (It is completely specious to call it a "war" when the death toll is 13 on one side and over 1,400 on the other.) Amira Hass, Gaza reporter par excellence, has the full story.

It is well known and well-documented that Israeli soldiers frequently fire on medics as they are trying to retrieve the dead and wounded. It's just not so common that they write down their instructions to do so.

In the weeks and months since Cast Lead, numerous stories that were reported as they happened by bloggers inside Gaza have only been confirmed by the mainstream media and human rights organizations. Sometimes the shock and outrage seems to be coming a bit late to the party. I received an angry email blast from Amnesty International in mid-February confirming that white phosphorous shells had been found in densely populated civilian areas. Although I sent my requisite email to Hillary Clinton (ha! like she cares!) I couldn't help thinking, "Well, duh." The author of tales to tell had posted picture of white phosphorous shells (easily recognizable in the air) falling over Jabaliya on January 11.

Amira Hass's article also mentions other outrages--such as graffiti and human waste left in homes occupied by the IDF--that were widely reported by grassroots media during Cast Lead, but are just now seeping into the mainstream press. As is often the case, a good number of these stories are being widely circulated in the Israeli media, but have not made it to the US at all.

I could type my fingers to the bone with all the horrific stories still being collected from Israel's 22-day massacre in the Gaza Strip. But that unenviable task is already being carried out with tireless passion by the authors of tales to tell and In Gaza, two blogs I cannot recommend enough.

If either of the authors are reading, I humbly offer this message from the United States: We hear you. We're fighting. Keep writing and stay safe! Solidarity from within the heart of empire.