A walk in the woods. People putting up fences. Land grabbing.

 Yesterday we walked the bluebell woods in the sunshine. The bluebells are coming on nicely. 

So are the fences. Since ownership of some of the land between Delph and Dobcross changed hands there has been an outbreak of fences, quite often rather nasty barbed-wire fences. Someone wants to keep walkers strictly to the designated woodland path. We watch with interest to see how things develop. 

People are greedy for land and eager to keep others out. 

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world:

“Thousands of people are evacuating from Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, hours after the Israeli military told residents and displaced people in eastern neighbourhoods to leave in advance of a long-threatened attack on the city and its environs.

Witnesses described frightened families leaving the city on foot, riding donkeys or packed with their belongings into overloaded trucks on Monday. Overnight Israeli airstrikes had reinforced “panic and fear”, prompting more to heed the instructions to move.

“There is extreme tension in all areas of Rafah, including areas west of the city. Many have begun to think about evacuating, and many have already evacuated,” one witness said.”

Here’s a link to today’s Guardian report.

Apparently residents have been instructed  to head to an “expanded humanitarian zone” on the coast. Is there anywhere left to go to?

There is also this report: 

"Reuters has spoken to another Palestinian in Rafah, Aminah Adwan. She told the news agency:

We have been awake since 2am because of the bombardment, and we woke up in the morning to find rain pouring, we drowned in the rain, our clothes and items as well – we are out on the streets. We also woke up to much worse news, to evacuate Rafah.

The biggest genocide will take place, the biggest catastrophe will take place in Rafah. I call on the whole Arab world to interfere for a ceasefire – let them interfere and save us from what we are in. We are tired and over this."

(Guardian update: 10:38)”

Here’s a link to an article about Israelis’ reaction to US university protests. I find it interesting that it begins with comments about people going to a theatre in Jerusalem:

“At the Jerusalem theatre on Thursday night, concertgoers and staff expressed a mixture of anger, sadness and defiance as weeks of pro-Palestinian protests across dozens of US college campuses reached a tumultuous climax 6,000 miles away.”

In Jerusalem people can still go to concerts. In Rafa they are loading belongings onto cars and donkey carts and fleeing. A bit of a contrast. 

I also find it interesting that the article about Israeli theatre-goers concludes like this:

“At the Jerusalem theatre, many concertgoers described the current war as one of many that Israel would have to fight over coming decades.

“Jews are stupid … For hundreds of years it’s been like this and we always think it will get better but it never does,” said Joseph Avi Cohen, a retired bank manager. “We need to be stronger. We need to fight back. It’s in the Bible. If someone hits you, you hit them back, twice as hard, 10 times as hard.””

Maybe it’s time to start talking harder and hitting less! 

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!