7/16/2009, 8pm (local time Gaza): We are currently on our way back to the Rafah border heading towards Egypt from Gaza City. Our sadness to leave the people of Gaza after such a short period of time is indescribable. The Egyptian government has tortured our hearts to have only allowed us 24 hours with our brothers and sisters in Gaza. We are EVERMORE determined to return to Gaza in the near future inshaAllah/God-willing! AlHamdulilah/Thank God today we accomplished a lot with the help of our host “NGO’s”. BRIEFLY: We first attended a press conference with the Prime Minister of Palestine. We were then given a tour of the Gaza Strip and witnessed first-hand it’s destruction at the hands of the Israeli Defense Forces. During the tour we visited the American International School which was literally demolished to rubble and it is simply INCONCEIVABLE that this building was destroyed by mistake/accident. Such a building could not have been destroyed to such a condition with just one missile strike. Throughout Gaza it was MORE than evident that the destruction of homes, schools, and hospitals were deliberate acts of war crimes. We then saw the demolished parliament building in Gaza. Followed by a visit to the patients of Shifa Hospital. Some of us including myself had the opportunity to get a tour of the hospital and meet some of the patients. I am warning you now some of the images/videos from within this hospital will be very disturbing. Lastly we met families at the Ministry of Prisoner Detainees (the title is a bit misleading, it’s the ministry for the support of Palestinian’s who have family members in Israeli prisons: 11,000 as of now) who lost family members during the Gaza War, as well as those who currently have family members in Israeli prisons. All in all, there is SO much to say, so many pictures to share, so many stories to reveal… I hope to do all that and more once I get back home to Southern California tomorrow iA!