(AP) Hamza Hendawi - After a ruinous war, Gaza is rushing back to a veneer of normalcy at astonishing speed. Street cafes and beaches are packed with people until late at night. Commercial streets are choked with shoppers. Wedding halls are booked solid. However, Gazans acknowledge the revelry thinly masks trauma and widespread despair. Many complain that none of the gains they hoped for from the war have been realized. Hamas security agents are so omnipresent people nickname them the "ground drones" - a play on the Israeli drones that often hover over Gaza. Most main squares are adorned with giant billboards extolling jihad against Israel.
2014-09-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive