Gaza waits for attack

The mood in Gaza is pre-apocalyptic.

There have been rumours in the past week of tanks pushing into the closed territory, of F-16s readying for another round of bombardment, and of plans to re-occupy refugee camps such as Jabalya, and even Gaza City itself.

In some areas, likely to be on the frontline of any exchanges, large numbers of gunmen have been out on the streets by night

People have stayed off the streets, and away from school and work, so as not to be caught away from home when any attack begins.

Normally busy streets packed with students and workers have been silent.

Meetings have been cancelled, and planned activities - such as dinners with friends - postponed.

Instead, televisions have been running hot, bringing pictures of the human and material wreckage of the Israeli campaign in the West Bank.
Pictures of Palestinian gunmen stepping into the street to surrender before Israeli tanks, of scared families only daring to look from their windows, and of bodies lying bleeding in the streets.