Leaving Cairo airport towards Gaza

Crossing the Suez Canal and entering the Sinai.

Reaching the Rafah crossing point on the Egyptian side.

A brotherly welcome on the Palestinian side. Waiting for us was Dr.Salam Al-Agha, President of Al-Aqsa University and his deputies.

The press conference going on.

Here at the press conference organized with the Algerian delegation, delineating its purposes and goals and thanking the Al Aqsa- University for helping organize the visit. It also brought a message of support from Dr.Hamid Naimiy, the President of the Arab Astronomical Union for Astronomy & Space Science (AUASS) that Dr. J.Mimouni was representing.

If Dr S.Baraka was instrumental in planning the visit with the Algerian delegation, the man who stands behind the whole organizational aspect of it and without whom the mission wouldn't have accomplished what it did, was no doubt Dr.Naamat Olwani, Vice rector for External Relations at Al-Aqsa University.

Inaugurating the first laboratory linked to the Palestine UNESCO Chair in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences.

The space science laboratory was well equipped. Here Dr.Baraka providing information on the project.

The hall where the UNESCO Chair was inaugurated few months ago at the Islamic University. The plate from closer. With us is Basma Diab, vice president of the Jordanian Astronomical Association.

The Sirius Astronomy Association's donation of astronomical material to Dr. Suleiman Baraka, the UNESCO's Astronomy Chair holder, It is to be distributed to Schools and educational institutions in Gaza.

Meeting with the Scientific Council of Al-Aqsa University

With the President and staff of Al-Oumma University

With Dr.Osama Al-Mozini, the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education

A meeting at his office

Guests to Dr.Ismail Haniyeh, the elected Palestinian prime Minister

At the Omari Mosque on Friday with Dr.Haniyeh as Khateeb. Here we see him coming to deliver the Friday sermon.

Taking lunch at Al-Haniyeh's house

With Dr.Mahmoud Al-Zahar

With Raou'hi Mushtaha, who was the oldest political prisonner in Israeli jails.

With Dr.Ahmed Bahar first Vice President of the elected Parliament

In the Majliss meeting Hall with the Koranic motto behind:
"...and who conduct their affairs by mutual consultation " Quran, 42: 38

A group picture at the tribune of the Palestinian legislative Assembly. A great honor indeed.

A short stop in memory of the shahid Saad Siyam

In front of the stele of the martyrs of the 2008 invasion

The other large University part of the trilogy is Al Azhar University. Here our delegation warmly welcomed by the University officials..

... followed by a meeting with their Faculty Board.

Prof; Benali-Cherif lecturing at the Islamic University on modern chemistry and crystallography

Here Nassim Seghouani, CRAAG's Head of the Astronomy Depart during a lecture at Al-Azhar University on "Reading from the Light".

Welcomed at the Gaza Islamic University by Dr.K.Sha'ath and his deputies.

... and meeting with its Scientific Council.

An exceptionally warm welcome was reserved to our delegation.

The handsome Islamic University compound. Notice on the right side, the science building containing the various laboratories destroyed by an Israeli raid in 2008 and which is now under reconstruction.

Meeting with young students

Meeting at the office of Dr.K.Sha'ath, President of the Islamic University

Dr. Sha'ath explaining in his office the modest start of the Islamic University (See below) in large tents. It was the first institution of Higher learning in Gaza.

The evolution of the Islamic University

Visiting where the new science building is erected after the past one was destroyed by the US made Israeli aircrafts.

A series of well attended scientific conferences were delivered at the University

A partial view of the audience at the Al-Azhar University lectures program. In front is Prof.Sufyan Tayeh a well known scientist.

With the students of the French Department at Al-Aqsa University. Behind Nassim is Dr.Ziad Medoukh, the head of the department.

At the French Institute which kindly opened its doors for us.

Practical astronomy in the garden of the French Institute

Benoit Tadié, from the General Consulate in Jerusalem who came precisely for this colloquium, and that we see here welcoming the guests and introducing the program.

The colloquium on "Les sciences fondamentales en ce début de siècle " consisted of 3 talks followed by a Q&A session, as well as a pratical astronomy session with Basma Diab in the garden.

With the head of the police department

The remnants of the missiles and shells used to bomb the police academy at the start of the Israeli aggression. More here

We received a warm welcome at the Cultural Center of the Bani Suhaila municipality where a large public program was carried out

Lectures at the Diwan Ghaza youth association event. Here Basma Diab lecturing to the large audience as part of the series of lectures given that day by the members of our delegation.

An impressing performance in mobilizing the youth and the intellectuals. Kudos to their members. The Ghaza Diwan's president is the young lady, the second person from the left.

An astronomical sighting session was organized on the ground next to the Museum Hotel on that evening.

Nassim in action

That was the conclusion of our program with the youth social activists of Diwan Ghaza

A special program was organized at the Bani Suhaila Mosque at Maghrib time

Al-Qattan Children Center part of the caritative Qattan Foundation.

Meeting with her Director, Rym AbuJaber (in red) and her assistant.

A center fully devoted to the children and of free access. Developping kids's skills, their artistic taste, making them grow harmoniously in a war torn country, that's the challenge they have taken upon themselves with great dedication and excellence.

"Why I like astronomy?": an interactive session with Mourad Hamdouche a member of our delegation. That was part of a three lecture series at the center by our delegation.

Many workshops spread throughout the multi-floor building and for all ages. In addition to that, there is an extensive children library with a Braille section, a mediatheque, playing grounds...

Leaving this dream place that not many other facilities of its nature can match, even in the developed world!

The wheel chair where Sheikh Yassine was using when he was cowardly assassinated.

The leaking roof of Sheikh Yassine's bedroom.

With his son

Sheikh Yassine's bedroom

The spot in the middle of the street where Sheikh was martyred between his house and the Mosque on his way to performing the Fadjr prayer. Killing a disabled man whose daily movements were well known and which was basically restricted to the five daily prayers at the Mosque. This is an inglorious crapulous crime that only a harlot among the nations as described by Israel's own Prophets in Ezekiel can proud itself of.

His house in the middle of a poor neighborhood in a refugee camp

Hamas's founder was a man deeply appreciated by all for his humility, his kind manners and his deep humanity.

Getting a taste of the hospitality: visit at random

Inside the house

"Chez l'habitant". Visit after visit, finding the same open house policy

Deambulating in the streets at night

Land, sea, and air denial: In front of the crippled Arafat's helicopter offered to him by the Jordanian kingdom.

Dinner at one of our collegues' house

Visiting Al-Omari Mosque, the oldest Mosque in Gaza.

With the Imam and the teaching staff.

More destruction scenes in civilian areas

Bombed civilian trucks

A visual testimony of the level of destruction : direct hits to habitations, buildings turned into playing ground.

For the Sake of Gaza's Youth

To tear down an obscene blockade so as not to deprive them of a future like it has been for their fathers who were brutally expelled from their land.
The Palestinian "problem" is the XXth century most enduring and blatant injustice, not by its scale as many conflicts were much more dramatic, but by it legitimating the spoliation of the national rights of a whole people, criminalizing the victims and turning them into a pariah among the nations, branding their freedom fighters as terrorists while incensing their spoliators and calling their state the only democracy in the Middle East.
The Western World and European's acceptance of the Gaza's blockade as legitimate comes from this utter falsification of history where white is called black and vice versa! This voluntary blindness concerning Palestine will stay as an indelible stigmata on the Western consciousness and on their pretense to represent Mankind's universal moral values.

With the kids of Al Jabaliya refugee camp. Joyful despite their hardship.

That a well off Jewish guy from Brooklyn New York would have a right to a land neither he nor his forefathers have ever seen or inhabited over those who lived there for centuries is at the heart of the Zionist racist doctrine.
Here the report of the Noam Chomsky's visit to Gaza just after our return. And here's the French translation of this exceptional analysis of the situation there. See also this moving article giving a human perspective from a courageous mind, who happens to be Israeli!

Have we in some way helped alleviate the blockade on Gaza? We hope so, even if in a modest way.
"La plus grande victoire d'Israël serait que nous faillîmes dans notre devoir de solidarité et que nous les oublions. En attendant que le monde dit "civilisé" réalise que ce lâche et criminel blocus est un acte de déni d'humanité"

Leaving with a heavy heart this land of steadfastness and sacrifice.... We will be back God willing.