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Irish Times
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
The Eyes of Gaza. A Diary of Resilience: Surviving one of the deadliest military campaigns in recorded history
The Eyes of Gaza: A Diary of Resilience Author : Plestia Alaqad ISBN-13 : 978-1035070251 Publisher : Macmillan Guideline Price : £16.99 For Palestinians , the act of writing has always been a political act, and the price paid for telling the truth has increased sharply since October 7th, 2023 . Of the 124 journalists and media workers killed globally in 2024 – the most recorded since the Committee to Protect Journalists began monitoring this in 1992 – 70 per cent were murdered by Israel. Since October 7th, Israel has killed 167 Palestinian journalists and imprisoned many others. Others survived through luck, exile or both. One of those who survived is 22-year-old Plestia Alaqad. In her new book, The Eyes of Gaza, she recounts her rise from aspiring poet and social media manager to frontline journalist and social media sensation. READ MORE The book, mostly Alaqad's diary entries from the first 45 days of war, begins with impressions from her childhood in Gaza , her years studying in Cyprus, and her return to Gaza. She began working for Press House, an NGO providing training and support to journalists, where she was mentored by Bilal Jadallah, a beloved figure in Palestinian journalism. He was killed on November 19th, 2023 , by Israeli soldiers. As Israeli warplanes began taking down entire buildings around her (including the one in which Alaqad lived) and wiped out entire families, Alaqad realized this war's intensity far outpaced previous conflicts. By day, she reported on each new massacre. By night, she slept on hospital floors or the homes of friends and relatives. For Alaqad and the journalists who continued working despite the threat, reporting was imperative. Who else could Palestinians depend on to faithfully tell their stories? 'When the sword is as mighty as Israel's,' Alaqad writes of her decision to pursue journalism, 'then the pen becomes all the more important.' With help from an uncle in Australia, Alaqad and (some) of her family eventually manage to flee to Australia, where she continues to report from. The Eyes of Gaza is an astounding first-hand account of surviving one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recorded history, told by someone who, despite everything, manages to retain her belief in the power of stories and her hope for a brighter day. In one of its most poignant entries, written with little sleep one morning three weeks into the onslaught, Alaqad remembers reading Anne Frank's diary after learning about the World Wars in school. 'Why,' she wonders, 'do we study history when clearly nobody ever learns from it?'
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
St. Paul condemns, closes downtown Capital City Plaza parking ramp
The city of St. Paul has condemned the downtown Capital City Plaza parking ramp by the troubled Alliance Bank Center, shuttering another Madison Equities property and its skyway connection. A notice of immediate condemnation was posted following an inspection on April 2. The notice orders all drivers and vehicles to vacate the premises. The mayor's office publicly announced the condemnation and closure of the ramp at 50 Fourth St. in a statement on Monday, noting a lack of maintenance and long-term non-compliance with code enforcement 'threaten the public health and safety of guests and neighboring properties.' Among areas of concern, city inspectors found blocked exits, exposed electrical circuits, inoperable equipment and water leaks. The city also noted that Madison Equities failed to routinely test its fire suppression systems, the structural integrity of the ramp and the water backflow prevention system, which separates contaminated water from clean water. The lack of testing, according to the city, poses a risk to the shared potable water supply for all nearby properties. The closure of the skyway connection will begin at Fourth Street and end at the Press House at Fifth Street, according to the statement from the mayor's office. The intersecting skyway to the Ramsey County Sheriff's office on Cedar Street also will be closed. There are no businesses or direct street access routes within the two connections and residents of nearby towers will not be impacted, it reads. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter noted in the statement that Madison Equities, previously considered downtown's largest property owner, has lost or neglected a number of properties in recent months, and 'their chronic neglect has caused serious harm that will impact our city for years.' The Capital City Plaza ramp is located near the Alliance Bank Center, which Madison Equities continues to own but stopped maintaining last month. Without a property owner paying for maintenance, utilities and security, all tenants have relocated and the city has stepped in to cover essential services and keep its skyway open weekdays. Angie Wiese, director of the St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections, said in the statement her department is working with 'impacted community groups to ensure our community remains safe and welcoming.' Madison Equities and its lender has also been ordered to get the parking ramp up to code, according to the city. St. Paul now oversees utilities, skyway access at Alliance Bank Center Cue the FalconCam: Downtown peregrine falcons are starting to lay eggs Downtown St. Paul: Alliance Bank Center now vacant Folk rock trio Mumford and Sons will play St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center in October Back-to-office order could be 'shot in the arm' for downtown St. Paul
