Jen Marlowe, a documentary filmmaker, human rights activist, and family friend of the Corries, recently visited Gaza . Here is a piece she wrote about her experiences, originally posted on TomDispatch.com and reposted with kind permission from Jen.

The Tightening Noose

Gaza under Hamas, Gaza under Siege
By Jen Marlowe

Images from Rafah flicker on my computer screen. Gazans blowing up chunks of the wall that stood between them and Egypt, punching holes in the largest open-air prison in the world and streaming across the border. An incredible refusal to submit.

I learn via email that my friend Khaled Nasrallah rented a truck in order to drive food and medicine from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. He was acting for no humanitarian organization. He’s just a resident of Rafah, a Palestinian town which borders Egypt, with a deep need to help and an opportunity to seize.

Behind the Current Israeli Escalation in Gaza: Questions and Answers

Dr. Steve Niva; Member of the Faculty, Middle East Studies, The Evergreen State College

1. There seems to be a massive upsurge in violence in Gaza these past few days; what is happening?

It is important to recognize that the violence is mostly one-sided. On the one side, Israel is conducting a major military operation into the Northern Gaza Strip that includes ground forces, air-strikes and missile-strikes in crowded residential neighborhoods. It has also fired upon ambulances and destroyed many civilian homes. On Saturday (March 1), Israeli operations killed over 60 Palestinians, some of them were reported to be armed fighters but at least half of them were civilians, including 10 children and three women. Since last Wednesday (February 27) the Israeli assault has killed over 100 Palestinians and injured over 200. Israel claims this is only the first phase of the operation; the next phase will involve more ground troops.

Here’s a list of international productions of the play “My Name is Rachel Corrie”

After a critically-acclaimed run in Denver, Countdown to Zero’s production will run for two performances only in Albuquerque, Saturday, February 16, 2:00PM, and Sunday, February 17, at 2:00 PM. This play was chosen by Justice First! and Countdown to Zero as an artistic vehicle for community conversation. After both performances, post-show discussions will be offered in order to address the issues raised in the play and to encourage fair and honest conversation and reflection.

(read more about this production)

Hi! My name is Flat Stanley! I come from a book about a kid named Stanley whose bulletin board fell on him during the night and made him two-dimensional.
My seven-year old friend Alex drew me as part of his second grade class project and then sent me to his Aunt Jen to take care of for two months. Aunt Jen took me with her to Palestine and Israel and boy did I have an adventure unlike any other Flat Stanley in Alex’s class–in the whole world,I bet!
Hope you enjoy seeing my pictures and hearing my stories!
Your friend,
Flat Stanley

( Read more about my trip… )