Day 3: Inside Gaza

Once inside Gaza, I let Yoav do the talking. We made our way past a few more military checkpoints, and closed roads to get to Nezer Hazani. It was very hot, and thankfully I had a trunk full of water that we shared, and detailed maps which were handy.
The color of the anti-disengagement is orange. Once at the settlements orange was everywhere children put orange ribbons on army trucks. At the settlement Nazer Hazani protesters blocked the entrance to the settlement with barbed wire and car tires. It was a standoff between Police and the settlers, anyone from Oakland would find the event pretty casual. An moment I found peculiar, the police spoke to the protesters with a bull horn, then handed the bull horn to the protesters to speak to the police. Yoav and I entered the settlement and shot from both sides, there was quite a few press there and it didn't feel like the confrontation was going to escalate, today. The settlers have until Wednesday to leave. Yoav and I traveled to two other settlements Qatif, and Ganei Tal and it was pretty much the same thing. I shot with my digital camera, and medium format 6x7 film. It was intense. We left, I dropped Yoav off at his car, and now I am in the resort town of Ashqelon.
I will try to put more photo at
www.mlucia.com/photo/photo.html

Day 3: Gaza

OK, I know that I told everyone that I wouldn't go into Gaza or the West Bank. I woke up this morning (Monday) at 4:00am, and drove to the Kissufim Crossing border into Gaza. My plan was to just sit tight at the border, to see what was going on. After driving through numerous check points I made it to the Gaza checkpoint at 6:00 which is a closed military zone. I sat and waited, and waited and studied the checkpoint while busses, jeeps and private cars of Israel soldiers and police streamed into Gaza.
There were a few still photographers there, and other TV people. I waited in my rental car, when another photographer approached the passenger side window. We discussed entering into Gaza, and decided to give it a shot. As we approached the check point, I followed the car ahead tightly, and when asked to stop flashed my Passport and Press badge, my partner flashed his badge, and we were waved through.
There was an instant connection with my new travel partner, an Israeli photojournalist teacher, Yoav. We both knew we would look out for one another. Entering into Gaza, I asked if he had been here before. "A few times" "Which is an understatement" 12 years ago he was in the army, and stationed in southern Gaza with the task of protecting the settlements. We drove past army soldiers on the side of the road, tanks, and bulldozers. It can be a dangerous road, but not today. The Israel army was set on showing a strong presence, and their soldiers were everywhere.