In northern Gaza, where Israeli checkpoints have become sites of terror and humiliation, everyone fears the moment he might end up face to face with an Israeli soldier. Being forced to strip naked under the gaze of a sniper is a nightmare that has become a recurring reality for Palestinian men. For Mahmoud, 24, and his father Osama, 50, that moment came after enduring over 450 days of starvation, relentless bombardment, and repeated displacement.
“When I first approached the checkpoint, an Israeli soldier yelled at me, grabbed my hat, and threw it to the ground. I stayed calm. I had to stay calm, knowing any reaction could endanger my life.” Mahmoud told Mondoweiss, recounting the harrowing moment of his forced displacement from Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, in November. ….more
