Jewish-American Journalist Max Blumenthal Visits Gaza and Tweets Images of a Devastated City · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

This was Beit Hanoun, Gaza, today – tweets @MaxBlumenthal in the first of a series of photographs he posts on Twitter showing the extent of the damage he witnessed
Jewish-American journalist, author and blogger Max Blumenthal visited Gaza's Beit Hanoun on the north-eastern border with Israel on August 15. He was accompanied by Palestine-based journalist Dan Cohen.
Gazans were taking advantage of a much-anticipated ceasefire between Hamas and Israel to try and salvage what they can from the rubble. Prior to the ceasefire, the offensive in Gaza had claimed the lives of 1,951 people, including over 70 families and 467 children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israeli NGO B'TSelem has confirmed the death of at least 1,767 Gazans and 431 children while the percentage of civilians killed ranges from 73 to 80 per cent according to the United Nations.
What Blumenthal and Cohen saw, however, was a town “completely flattened” by Israeli aerial and tank attacks. Beit Hanoun made worldwide headlines when an Israeli strike on a UN school killed 15 civilians on the 24th of July despite the UN asking the IDF for time to evacuate. Unfortunately, the devastation was not limited to a single school as you will see below.
The following is the timeline of their visit:
Beit Hanoun was completely flattened by Israeli aerial and tank attacks pic.twitter.com/KdmNwyqxpR
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
One of the Beit Hanoun homes occupied by Israeli soldiers, its floor littered with bullet casings pic.twitter.com/zlwXhEYVpf
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
He says Israeli soldiers looted his brother's documents and belongings from his desk. His home is in ruins. pic.twitter.com/m0jVTITi5u
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
Some clothes left behind by Israeli soldiers in Beit Hanoun pic.twitter.com/gBICqRLcdj
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
A cemetery in Beit Hanoun. They even bomb the dead. pic.twitter.com/WJifqnP2hD
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
.@dancohen3000 finds some new fans in Beit Hanoun pic.twitter.com/simIMdTwP2
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
Yard of the UN school shelled by Israel, where 17 were killed and 150 injured pic.twitter.com/YUFbB3HxTO
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
Israel bombed his classroom with an F-16 at Beit Hanoun's UN school pic.twitter.com/vLCIBv6EY2
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
Scholasticide pic.twitter.com/vwVbATkKWt
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
One of the many wounded I randomly encountered today – She lives behind the Beit Hanoun UN school pic.twitter.com/zuc7UMoIxX
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
Israel is 700 m away. It uprooted his orange groves & destroyed his wells in 2005 then bombed his house last month. pic.twitter.com/eIrT4vOKbo
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
As a farmer describes to me how Israel killed 8 family members, his cousin offers me a bunch of grapes & cold water. The highest character.
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
A girl named Reham lived in this room in Beit Hanoun until Israel destroyed her home pic.twitter.com/8dD6dEq7N7
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) August 15, 2014
1948 continues in Beit Hanoun today pic.twitter.com/7I0lLPSX3a
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) August 15, 2014
Israeli soldiers carved Stars of David in homes in Gaza, report @MaxBlumenthal & @dancohen3000 http://t.co/GB3QeEyzWi pic.twitter.com/FkbMVHSv9y
— Mondoweiss (@Mondoweiss) August 15, 2014
Written on the wall of what used to be a home in Beit Hanoun: Palestine, 3 Israel, 0 pic.twitter.com/dR85D69PFr
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
Her home was turned into a hole in the ground. She learns where I'm from. “Netanyahu and Obama are equally guilty!” pic.twitter.com/wrBjvAJwp3
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 15, 2014
Only the entrance remains to the farmer's house pic.twitter.com/Pn8osP5bhH
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) August 15, 2014
Burnt remains of a classroom in the Beit Hanoun Boy's and Girl's School pic.twitter.com/OrrRP3xpRu
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) August 15, 2014
Gaza City's Amin Muhammad mosque, where Israeli army sources say demographic threats launched non-Jewish prayers: pic.twitter.com/U82B3FLZQt
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 16, 2014
Inside Gaza City's Amin Muhammad mosque. It was locked and empty when hit. #sociocide pic.twitter.com/x5VwzZPv0t
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 16, 2014
Fadel Alawah drove a wounded man to a hospital, not knowing he was a fighter. Here's what a drone did to his car: pic.twitter.com/84GTpgPxSo
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 16, 2014
Fadel Alawah's shoe remains inside the taxi he worked in for 12 hours a day at $8 an hour #PT pic.twitter.com/ZFFxoTaPP9
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 16, 2014
I keep finding seared shoes around Gaza. I can't say what they remind me of. This was in Shujaiya: pic.twitter.com/Wuz8n39MMP
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 16, 2014
The family of Salem Shamali, who was killed on video by Israeli sniper while looking for them http://t.co/iXU3n1Acv7 pic.twitter.com/1WcvLmUil2
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 16, 2014
The mother of Salem Shamali breaks down after rewatching @AymanM‘s report on her son's execution by Israeli sniper pic.twitter.com/Wc03HkFpFj
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 16, 2014
Waseem Shamali misses his big brother, Salem. He can't talk about him without crying. pic.twitter.com/xxMb7Xld0j
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 16, 2014
The Shamali family has not received justice for their son Salem's murder. Instead they've been given these: pic.twitter.com/BSJ852r5mR
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 16, 2014
Hamza Masri stands before his ruined home in Beit Hanoun and insists there are some good Israelis despite Netanyahu. pic.twitter.com/OjQpiBOcwj
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 16, 2014
Hamza Masri is 62. He has met Israeli Jews. His grandkids grew up under siege. “The only Jews we meet are in tanks,” one tells me. #PT
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 16, 2014
Shujaiya, Beit Hanoun, Gaza City – some of my and @dancohen3000‘s photos: https://t.co/khLya386zI
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 16, 2014
Follow our in-depth coverage: #Gaza: Civilian Death Toll Mounts in Israeli Offensive