This unbelief grew stronger with each curfew, with each strike that mourned the death of yet one more martyr, with a decapitation induced by gunfire in the main square on a sunny Ramallah afternoon so many years ago. But it was cemented the day I had to tell one of my fifth grade students that his brother had just been taken away by the Israeli army. His expression, his body going limp, the shuddering of his shoulders as he wept with his classmates...that's what finally did it.

Nearly 20 years have passed since that day, and I have now married into a Gazan family. I am a wife and mother, the sister and aunt of so many kids living the horror of what Gaza has become. As we watch the footage of Israel's onslaught, I hear myself, whispering as I see one more martyred child, "Run to the angels....run." After so many years, this living nightmare is fostering a burning desire to believe once again in the afterlife.

Caged, starved, sniped, suffocated. They are slaughtered like sheep, but the leaders of the free world just cannot seem to find a moment to comment. Golfing, vacationing, Obama, Bush, even the EU, they just aren't important enough. My mutterings have become a like a canter. I call out to these stricken and shattered little bodies, who frankly never experienced life to lose it. The only consolation to offer is the respite found in death.

A crowd gathers, shrouded in gas, smoke and dust. In the front stand eight young fathers, each holding a white swaddled bundle of what used to be a son, a daughter. For a few moments there is no screaming, no chanting or crying, but a moment of quiet and stillness that presses one to wonder just whom has been granted the greater mercy, the toddler who caught the snipers bullet, or the young father, who will have to find some way to live beyond this moment?

A young boy sits on the sidewalk beside his mother. She is propped up against the wall of a collapsed building and her life is bleeding out all over the sidewalk. It is spattered on his face and smeared on his shirt. She uses the last of her strength to lift her arm and clutch his cheek in her palm and then she is gone. He rests his head in his hands and cries. He is all alone.

The camera zooms in on the scene of a freshly detonated building, a civilian home. A little girls brown curly hair covered in dust and eyes wide open is all that can be found of her. Her mother wails and pulls her hair while her father frantically searches among the rubble for the rest of his daughter, where could she be? I whisper again, "you will be made whole again in Paradise. Run to the angels".

What amazing faith. What strong devotion that a father loses his mother, father, wife and eight children, that this man before anything can assert, "God is Great, Thank God for Everything". He holds his child, now still and ashen, he smothers him with kisses and then gently pulls back the sheet to expose two bullet holes in his chest. He then tenderly places the child beside his brother and again, pulls the sheet back of his youngest son to reveal a single snipers bullet to the chest. He can barely compose himself and he moans to the sympathizing camera man, "God is Great, Thank God for Everything".

An old and wrinkled Imam so lovingly cradles a little girl's lifeless body, as if mishandling her now could inflict more pain, he mumbles a benediction and gently lies her beside her sisters and her brothers in the mass grave. I try to comfort her, saying, "Finally, a place of safety. Rest beside your sister. Your brother. Put your fears to rest and meet your beloved Prophet and the many of your little friends who have fallen before you."

Hospitals, schools, mosques, civilian homes, UN shelters, all worthy targets. Doctors, medicines, food and water, truckloads of relief from all corners of the world line up for miles at the Egyptian border but they are refused entry. Security is high, food is scarce, water is completely gone.

Faith seems to spring forth in the strangest of moments. For me, it seems to be coming full circle out of desperation and in agony, for the sake of the snow-white souls of the many bloodied and dismembered innocents of Gaza.

UN workers coordinate with Israelis to get civilians to safety inside a UN school. Hundreds are tucked inside the mutually agreed safe haven. Soon after, the school comes under Israeli fire. Bruised and battered refugees stare Satan in the face, clad in his fatigues. Hundreds wounded, scores dead, many lost and unaccounted for.

Governments negotiate a cease-fire. Rumors buzz of conspiracies. The US President-elect is forever silent. Parents search beneath the collapsed walls for what remains of their children. Shattered concrete, random arms and legs, broken glass, tossed together in a bloody hodge-podge. But, in my mind, I see them whole, their little bodies swiftly being swept up into Paradise and I call out to them, "Run!"

Suzanne Baroud is the Managing Editor of PalestineChronicle.com.

According to the Associated Press count, as of May 7, a day after Tuesday's primaries, Obama commands an overall lead of 1,846.5 delegates, while Clinton trails behind at 1,696 delegates. To win the Democratic Party nomination for presidency, Obama or Clinton is required to obtain 2,025 delegates. To catch up with Obama, beleaguered Clinton must acquire at least 63 percent of the remaining votes, nearly impossible considering her poor performance as of late. Obama is just 178.5 delegates shy from the threshold of nomination.

Analysts contest that neither candidate is likely to obtain the required votes, but Obama looks like a more attractive option, as Clinton's negative campaigning is reaching the point of hampering the credibility and overall appeal of the Democratic Party, as it gears for a heated battle against Republican Senator John McCain next November. US filmmaker and outspoken political critic Michael Moore has equated a possible McCain presidency, in a recent interview with CNN's Larry King, as a third term for George W. Bush. Moore's assessment cannot be any more accurate.

Hilary Clinton's campaign lost momentum soon after its launch. Early numbers showing a wide lead over other Democratic opponents soon faltered, as her failure to present herself as the clear alternative to the archetypal Washington politician became palpable. Although Obama's 'moral flexibility' too became obvious, he held an advantage over his stubborn opponent: he could speak as an outsider to the 'establishment', a fact that is consistent with his oratory charges about the need for change, unity and hope. Clinton, despite her claim to the contrary, was the typical Washington politician, self-serving, opportunistic and an aficionado of partisan politics.

The more Obama's appeal grew, the more obstacles that were planted in his way to fall, thus prompting responses that seemed inconsistent with his initial campaign promises. When confronted with the claim that he lacked leadership qualities, last August he vowed to bomb Pakistan, a major US ally, in the hunt for al-Qaeda; when his 'commitment' to Israel was questioned, he blamed Palestinians squarely for their misfortunes, including the lethal Israeli siege on Gaza; to counter the rumours of his allegedly secretive Muslim life, he disowned one of the world's greatest religions as if some sort of a contagious disease; and finally, when Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor of many years, made his controversial views public, thus igniting a media frenzy that was exploited shamelessly by Senator Clinton, Obama spoke of Wright as a different man from the one that he had known.

It was Reverend Wright's controversy in particular that was expected to slow down, if not entirely jeopardize Obama's quest for the White House. Clinton's campaign was seen on the rebound, or the media prophesized. Her campaign attempted to capitalize on Obama's misfortunes, turning the African American preacher's views into a representation of Obama's.

More, in recent television campaign ads, the Clinton camp infused sinister images of Osama bin Laden, hoping to exploit the culture of fear that was created by the Bush administration and his neoconservative backers following the terrorist attacks of September 11.

As for Israel, Clinton wanted to settle the score once and for all, positioning herself as the most faithful candidate to Israel - especially as John McCain's recent visit to Israel has raised the bar, once more, regarding who is Israel's most faithful friend. In an interview on ABC's Good Morning America, Clinton asserted that the US could "totally obliterate" Iran in retaliation for a nuclear strike against Israel. "I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran (if it attacks Israel)," Clinton said, adding, "In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them."

But nothing seemed to work thus far: neither the fear mongering, nor the blackmailing, nor infusing al-Qaeda and Hamas into the scene, nor misusing Reverend Jeremiah's public statements; Obama continues to win the trust of more Democrats.

Writing for the CBC website, Mike Flannery reported, "Obama was on the winning side of an 'honesty gap.' Asked who was honest and trustworthy, 66 percent of Indiana voters said Obama was; and 33 percent said he was not. Fifty-four percent said Clinton was trustworthy and 45 percent said she was not. In North Carolina, Obama was considered trustworthy by 71 percent of people, and not so by 27 percent. Forty-nine percent of voters in North Carolina said Clinton was trustworthy, and an equal percent said she was not."

Clinton's desperate campaign is getting even more desperate as media reported that the New York Senator lent her campaign another large sum of money, estimated at $6.4 million, amid quite calls from various influential democrats that she should call it quits, thus preserving some grace, integrity, and the hope of unifying the party.

One of those voices is veteran Democratic Party member George McGovern, 85, an historic figure by the party's standards. McGovern had reportedly dropped his support for Clinton and endorsed Obama on May 7, saying that the young Illinois senator seemed certain to win the nomination for the upcoming presidential elections in November. Three other superdelegates reportedly vowed support for Obama following Tuesday's primaries.

Six final contests remain for the Democratic nomination before the party's convention this summer: West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota. At stake are 217 delegates. Proportional methods used by the party will prevent Obama from winning the needed number to seal his nomination. Out of the 800 superdelegates, 215 are yet to determine their leanings, leaving both Clinton and Obama scrambling for their approval.

Dan Balz, blogging for the Washington Post, quoted a veteran Democrat, one of many who wishes Clinton to withdraw and preserve the party's unity: "Withdraw with honor and grace, or lose without either, forever cementing her - their (the Clintons) - image as selfish, indifferent to party or cause."

Considering Clinton's recent statements, she seemed adamant in continuing with her pursuit for the White House no matter what the price. "I believe I'm the stronger candidate against Senator McCain and I believe that I'd be the best president among the three of us running," Clinton said. "So, we will continue to contest these elections and move forward."

The greatest outrage is that such a reality is the decided policy of the Israeli government. It is decried by the most prominent human rights and humanitarian groups throughout the world, and yet it is increasingly enhanced by Israel and shamelessly backed and justified by the US. It is indisputable that the calamity of contaminated water in the Gaza Strip is a resolute policy of the Israeli government.

The problem of sewage management in Gaza is not a new issue, and in fact dates back to the direct Israeli occupation of Gaza in 1967. At that time, Israel built the sewage treatment facilities which are still in operation today, built then to serve a population of 380,000 people, a number that has grown to 1.5 million.

The depleted source of clean drinking water and the ever-growing sewage crisis in Gaza is leading to areas of overflow, the largest of them called "the great lake" which occupies some 30 hectares of land and holds approximately 2-3 million cubic meters of waste water.

With archaic facilities to serve a group that has nearly tripled in number, and with the lack of basic necessities such as fuel to power the pumps necessary to keep the facilities running, the result is the spillage of toxic sewage into the ground and ground water and even directly into the sea.

The United Nations publication, IRIN recently interviewed Rebhi al-Sheikh, the head of the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) in Gaza, who stated that at present, 75 percent of Gaza's drinking water is polluted.

In January 2008, UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur, John Dugard travelled to Palestine and assessed the situation, one that he described as "catastrophic" under Israel-imposed restrictions.

I recently spoke with Dr. Suma Baroud about the range of problems and health issues that result from the existence of run-off areas such as the great lake. She explained, "As a medical practitioner working in the field of primary health care in the Khan Younis region for the last 10 years, I have learned from my anecdotal observation that there are a myriad of overwhelming problems and ailments inflicting the health of Gaza residents, especially children as a result of the ever-growing lakes of sewage like that of the 'great lake' or the 'Majari' as we call it.

Many children are treated in our health centers for illnesses induced by infestations of small organisms such as amoeba. These ailments progress and lead to internal diseases which affect the small and large intestine and hamper or impede their functions, such as abdominal colic, diarrhea and constipation. Other complications include anemia, failure to thrive, and mental disturbances. More, we have seen growing numbers of children who suffer from conditions such as insomnia, low self-esteem and self-confidence.

Add to this a big number of patients who are treated in our clinics in summer for skin infections resulting from insects bites. There is an overwhelming problem with such insects which thrive in the conditions under which we suffer, with intense heat and standing sewage and water.

There is tremendous pressure on the Ministry of Health due to over-consumption of medications that fight these diseases and their subsequent complications."

An uncountable number of rights groups have brought the plight of Gaza to the fore in recent weeks, including the International Committee of the Red Cross who recently told IRIN that, "The environmental situation in Gaza is bad and getting worse."

30,000-50,000 cubic metres of partially treated waste water and 20,000 cubic metres of raw sewage end up in rivers and the Mediterranean Sea. Some 10,000-30,000 cubic metres of partially treated sewage end up in the ground, in some cases reaching the aquifer, polluting Gaza's already poor drinking water supply.

The International Crisis Group recently pressed Israel, Egypt, the PA and the Hamas Government to do everything possible to make necessary commodities available such as fuel, which is essential to the containing of Gaza's huge sewage problem.

In an article recently published in the California based publication, the Coastal Post, US Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader bashed Israel for its multi-faceted execution of institutionalized violence against the people of Gaza, and called the US to account for its out-right complicity with Israel's inhuman and illegal practices: "Israel's siege has also caused extensive loss of life in Gaza from crumbling health care facilities, electricity cut-offs, malnutrition and contaminated drinking water from broken public water systems. The victims here are mostly children and civilian adults who expire unnoticed by the West. The suffering of Gaza civilians is ignored by 98% of the US Congress, which gives billions of taxpayer dollars to Israel annually."

According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), "Gaza is on the threshold of becoming the first territory to be intentionally reduced to a state of abject destitution, with the knowledge, acquiescence and - some would say - encouragement of the international community."

In early March of this year, a report drafted by eight British human rights groups and humanitarian groups condemned Israel's policies in a "scathing" report which declared that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was the "worst since 1967".

"As we speak, sewage is literally pouring into the streets," said Geoffrey Dennis, head of CARE International.

Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said Israel must protect its citizens, "but as the occupying power in Gaza it also has a legal duty to ensure that Gazans have access to food, clean water, electricity and medical care."

She added: "Punishing the entire Gazan population by denying them these basic human rights is utterly indefensible. The current situation is man-made and must be reversed."

The 16-page report -- sponsored by Amnesty, along with CARE International UK, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Medecins du Monde UK, Oxfam, Save the Children UK and Trocaire -- calls on the British government to exert greater pressure on Israel and to reverse its policy on not negotiating with Gaza's Hamas rulers."

As Amnesty's Kate Allen pressed, the urgency of this issue cannot be emphasized enough. Spillage so great that its masses are designated "the great lake", such abuse and mistreatment of a population regarded as "protected persons" is nothing less than pure outrage. The international community must take action immediately to ensure the protection Gaza deserves, for as Allen declared, this abhorrent action is undeniably man-made and must be reversed immediately.