Diary of Ramallah life

Friday 12 April

At midnight there are three massive explosions down in the valley below us. They are big enough to vibrate the tiled concrete floor and shake the windows.

Our phone has been cut for the last 24 hours so we have to use a neighbour's phone to make calls and send e-mails.



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Thursday 11 April

The machine guns are again very active.

We hear that the Israeli Defence Force have entered Birzeit village and the tanks have surrounded the university campus, but have not entered it. There are hundreds of students living in the village with families.

In the evening I sit on the front steps - it's warm.

We move between the places quite slowly at night. It's difficult to make myself look British in the dark.

I have neither a bowler hat nor an umbrella, and even without the curfew, one cannot buy the Times.



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Wednesday 10 April

After the death of 13 Israelis in Jenin yesterday and soldiers blown up north of Haifa this morning, we were second-guessing Ariel Sharon's next move.

At midday there was a single shot at the back of the house. To the side of the balcony we saw about five Israeli Defence Force members with guns seemingly aimed directly at us.