Tamer in Gaza

Last time I saw Tamer, in July 2007, I thought there was a good chance we were not going to meet again. The der des der. Not that he was suffering from an incurable disease - he was just going back to his land, Gaza.

Even at the time, crossing the border with Israel was a mission. Fitted with a BBC pass, Tamer stayed in a hotel in Jordan waiting for his turn. He would travel to the border almost every day, hoping that the day had come for him to see his friends and family again. He waited alone for 5 weeks before eventually getting in Gaza. A couple of months ago, he got married. A little bit of softness in the brutal world he was living in. Of course, none of us could attend.

Tamer stayed in touch with his former classmates, including me. We spoke a few times since he left, and everytime he, the eternally optimistic face, would sound darker on the phone.

Today Tamer is one of the few journalists reporting from hell on an inhuman conflict thats killed over 1,000 Palestinians in less than three weeks. I watch him everyday, I never understand what he says but it is a relief to see his beard grow. I chatted with him online tonight very briefly. He said:

Tamer says: (21:02:18)
vic im fine butt it is verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry bad situation

Bless. Long live...