Priest says Gaza residents are used to living in difficult conditions

Published: 2006-06-30

JERUSALEM (CNS) -- Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are so used to living under difficult conditions that the latest Israeli bombings and border closings do not make much difference in their lives, said a Gaza parish priest. "It's not worse than it has been. We are so accustomed to what has happened before we don't see any difference. We have been living like this, but nobody spoke about it. Now people are speaking about it," said Father Manuel Musallam of Holy Family Parish in Gaza City. In a telephone interview with Catholic News Service June 30, Father Musallam said the Israeli bombing of Gaza's only power plant has left people with only about four to six hours of electricity per day, and lack of electricity affects the water pumps. The parish church and school have been able to use a generator for additional electricity, but not everyone has a generator, he said. "Neighbors around the school ask for one hour of electricity to pull the water up to the roofs," said the priest. "If there is a sick person in need of electricity, we give (it to) them."

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .