I’m in Rafah. This comes in English as I’m posting from my iPhone.

Yesterday I stopped for a private car turned upside down by a truck on the road side. The single passenger came out wounded but on his feet. Exceptionally, he scanned the area, knew his rights and procedures to be made, asked me to call his wife while he collected his papers, fetched for license, car key, …all with a bleeding hand and potentially fractured arm.

Ambulance never came although I called them 3 times. Police came and discouraged him from filing complaint but he insisted. They tried to rip him off by offering super exaggurated rates for pulling his car using police lift – he rejects.

Turns out he is a high rank 3rd Army officer. I ask him where is our country heading? He says looking to sky pointing a cut finger “its all in god’s hands. It’s a mess”. I ask “even the army?”. He says “We’re approaching another 1967. The army has neither equipment nor human beings. We’re in god’s hands. But because the army is closed you know nothing about it”.

It is now two hours into 2009. Israeli jets have been flying over our heads occasionally bombing Gaza side of the border.

I can’t really say or wish for a happy new year. I only wish we come out of it on our feet. They say when you sink, you start rising when you reach the far bottom and push hard.