A fragile truce. The day after our visit to the CMCC (Civil-Military Coordination Center), the Israeli army organized a “ embedded » (integrated into its operations) in Gaza, in which we took part. The initiative aimed to bring a few journalists as close as possible to the Palestinian refugee camp of Deir el-Balah, one of the smallest among the eight historic camps in the enclave. Today, as in the rest of the Palestinian territory, the majority of refugees no longer reside in the original area; many of them are now installed in buildings scattered around the surrounding area.
We reach the area in ultra-armored trucks, escorted by the army, mobilized to ensure the safety of journalists in an area still considered highly dangerous. Each reporter is accompanied by a soldier. Our convoy crosses Kissufim, one of the crossing points for humanitarian aid trucks intended for the Gazan civilian population. Approaching the Deir el-Balah border post, the devastated landscape reveals a line of concrete blocks, painted a bright yellow and spaced every 150 to 200 meters, which mark the separation between the area held by Hamas and that under Israeli control. A border visible to the naked eye, which cuts Gaza in two.
In the distance, a vast field of ruins extends to Gaza City; carcasses of buildings stand next to a few buildings still standing. On the outskirts of the Deir el-Balah camp, Israeli soldiers deployed at the outpost provide permanent surveillance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the mission of preventing any crossing of the border by Hamas – “what they try to do every day”supports the army. “ This week alone, three armed attacks have targeted our troops. » The IDF also claims to have eliminated, since the start of the ceasefire, dozens of terrorists who crossed the “yellow line”. These attempts occur, according to her, almost every day.
Faced with Hamas tunnels, an “endless” mission
On the ground, vigilance is permanent. On the lookout, young soldiers scan the demarcation line from their observation posts in the distance. Intermittently, explosions ring out. They explain that at the same time, units are operating on the ground to locate tunnels; before entering, they shoot at the surrounding area to ensure that no terrorist is lurking in the area or trying to rush in to attack them. An endless sequence, they repeat.
Below, near the watchtowers, is their base. There, between two rotations, these fighters, barely twenty years old, stick to ordinary movements: some train physically in a roughly furnished space, equipped with a few dumbbells; others chat in small groups or play cards, as if to release for a moment the tension that inhabits these places. A concern which, given the upheavals in the region, does not seem to be about to subside.
