On the second day of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum fled and hid in the home of a friend, who was affiliated with Fatah and regularly "coordinated with the Ramallah government," he revealed to journalist Thursday.
In a workshop for journalists and media personnel to discuss coverage of the Israeli war on Gaza Barhoum first applauded Gazan press and broadcast workers for their role in getting the Gaza story to the world. During his speech he also revealed untold stories from the three week onslaught.
Barhoum explained that he stayed in his friend’s house for several days. He was given logistical support during the days before the Israeli ground invasion and protected by his friend and several other Fatah affiliates who joined them in the home.
During his stay in the home Israeli warplanes shelled a building only meters away, shaking its foundations. The missile turned out to be a warning shot and F16s then detonated several more shells on the home, destroying all five floors. He recalled watching the residents flee after the first shots and was relieved that none had been hurt.
Barhoum recalled sitting next to his fellow Hamas spokesperson Ismail Radwan during the first day of the ground invasion. The two thought tanks were approaching their building and considered quickly writing a farewell speech. With the power out they had time to reconsider, however, and decided to wait for the end of the war and deliver a victory speech instead.
Recalling another incident where he was preparing to deliver a statement during the war, Barhoum told a story of his cameramen unable to find a green (for Hamas) flag or sheet to put behind him. "We could only find a yellow flag (for Fatah)," he said. He was about to speak about the death of several children and the tragedies and told the crew, "they will think I have become a Fatah spokesperson." Rather than making the show about politics Barhoum opted for no backdrop and appeared next to a stark white wall.
In a final recollection, Barhoum revealed that moments before one of his last statements during the war, he received a text message saying his eldest son, Baha, had been seriously injured and transferred to hospital. Deciding to continue with the statement was "one of the most difficult personal and human moments" he had ever encountered during his job as Hamas spokesperson, he said.
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