I woke up late, to bright sunshine but becoming cloudy later in the day. In the morning news, a fifth day of hostage exchange truce in Gaza is going on as proposed, along with more aid trucks. Egypt says 200 trucks carrying fuel food and medical supplies would pass during the four days, but news reports on the total number are varied and piecemeal. Over 13,500 have died so far 6,500 of them children Gaza's health ministry reports, but with more still buried in the rubble of their homes or shelters.
The World Health organization warns that even more could die from disease unless aid is stepped up to allow the restoration of water supplies and sewage treatment plants. One small glimmer of hope is the resumption of Al-Shifa hospital's kidney dialysis unit. Resumption of hostilities is dreaded, as the Israeli military presses on relentlessly in pursuit of an ever elusive goal.
There's speculation about the idea of a UN peacekeeping force to help restore law and order to Gaza, as it is faced with losing Hamas control when the Israeli military gets as far as it can with its war aims. Given the failure of UN peacekeeper to stop the massacre of Palestinian and Shia refugees by Falangist militia in Beiruit's Sabra and Chatila camps, after Israel's invasion of Lebanon back in 1982, the credibility of this is bound to be in doubt.
Palestinian leaders insist they can govern themselves, but are divided and still lack genuine democracy and freedom in the West Bank as well as Gaza. I believe proper governance cannot be established until both sides have exhausted their desire for retribution and renounced violence. Around the world concern about this conflict has divided public opinion and support for the suffering people of Israel and Palestine, but there's been a less well publicised group of Jewish and Arab people in the region and internationally lamenting together the destruction and loss of life, pleading for an end to hostilities and calling for reconciliation and peace with justice for all. They champion the cause for which the United Nations was founded. Why do news makers seem less interested in what they have to say than in the men of violence?
After a quiet morning, washing my thinning hair, pondering, avoiding work, I cooked an experimental dish of lentils with parsnips, mushrooms and miso for lunch, a nice mild combination of sweet, savory and earthy flavours. Worth repeating another time, I think.
Then some editing work on Sway graphics, before going out for a walk later than I'd planned, so it was dark then I returned. Clare had gone out to her meditation group so I had an early supper, did more editing on Sway content, and then settled down to watch the last episode of the current series of Rocco Schiavone, which looked like it would be the end of the long story which has been running throughout all four series so far, but with a surprise twist revealed that there's more to tell, in a fifth series. I love this series and the characters it portrays, as well as the picture it paints the underbelly of modern Italian society.
Then, I watched the final episode of the French Canadian series 'The Sketch Artist', except that the ending wasn't conclusive in terms of the characters and their stories, so maybe a series two in the pipeline? It was quite challenging to listen to as Canadian urban French in incorporates many English words, some oddly pronounced, is spoken fast, with words truncated, so it requires concentration. But a good story with some remarkable characters gifted specialist crime investigators in their different ways.
Another new series was proposed as the credits rolled, catching my eye, called 'Hors Saison', A Franco Suisse production set in border zone alpine skiing region of the Portes du Soleil so familiar to us from our time living in Geneva, and visits to Haute Savoie and the Canton de Vaud. After Montreal French it was so lovely to enjoy the clarity and turns of phrases of the regional accent heard both sides of the border. Little need to concentrate hard to understand. This was the place and time in my life when I belatedly gained a measure of confidence in speaking French, forty years after getting my French 'O' level in school. It will be a pleasure to follow this particular crimmie. And so to bed.
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