CNN’s Christiane Amanpour reports on a Gaza hospital overflowing with casualties, many of them civilians.

Program Note: Watch Christiane Amanpour report live from Jerusalem tonight on AC360° at 10pm.

Anderson Cooper examines the damage in an Israeli marketplace where a rocket launched by Hamas landed.

People in the French capital Paris demonstrate against the Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

Octavia Nasr
CNN Arab Affairs Editor

The dramatic developments in Gaza drove Arab citizens to the streets where they displayed anger directed first and foremost at their own governments.

In Yemen, thousands of demonstrators gathered in the capital Sanaa shouting slogans in support of Gaza and its residents and burning Israeli and US flags. They cried out against the League of Arab States which delayed discussion on the crisis. One demonstrator telling the Doha-based Al-Jazeera network, “The Arab league is worthless.. They’re all worthless leaders and they should all go home.”

In Sudan, the scene isn’t much different. A woman wearing the Hamas banner around her forehead told Al-Manar TV, “Where are the Arab leaders? Where are their actions? Enough condemnation and finger-pointing.. Show Gaza your support.”

Students at the University of Qatar boycotted their classes and demonstrated their support for Gaza. One student spoke excitedly about what he saw as his moral responsibility, “Our ancestors claimed that the news about the Palestinian disaster reached them late in 1948.” He then concluded, “We have a responsibility to our children and the future generations. We can’t tell them we heard about the Gaza disaster of 2008 but didn’t do anything.”

Keep reading

An Israeli police officer stands next to a bullet-riddled bulldozer at the scene of an attack in Jerusalem, Tuesday

Editor’s Note: Laura Weinberg was a former producer for CNN in New York. She is currently living in Jerusalem and shares this experience with us.

Laura Weinberg
Jerusalem

I have started to tune out the sirens here. Yesterday was Tuesday, July 22, and for the first time I am working from Jerusalem. I just spent two days in our Ramallah office and since I do not have a direct ride to Jerusalem, I decided to work from home today.

Plus I need some time to decompress.

This morning, I wrote an email to two of my parents very close friends who are very knowledgeable about the current situation. As I was explaining to them via email why I was incredibly concerned about the state of Palestinians in the West Bank, the checkpoints they are encountering within the west bank, and the reasons why I was upset about the settlements, I did say that I understood that the separation wall has arguably caused a significant decrease in the amount of suicide bombers in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. I also recognized that I am luckily here in a relatively peaceful time, and as I said that, I knocked on wood…
Keep reading

The Arab world gets its news from satellite television - Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and others. Networks that have brought plain speaking to a region where government censorship is the norm, and has been for decades. Now those governments - members of the Arab League - plan to rein in these free-wheeling broadcasters.

A new charter adopted by Arab information ministers bans anything that “undermines social peace, national unity and public order.”

The sweeping charter threatens to revoke an Arabic broadcaster’s license if it defames politicians, national figures or religious leaders. Or if it criticizes religion. Egypt’s Information Minister says the ban is needed because “some satellite channels have strayed from the correct path.”

Cartoonist Naji Benaji depicts the difficult restrictions Arab journalists could encounter if a charter calling for more media censorship in the Arab world is imposed

Journalists are up in arms, saying repressive regimes want to restrict their editorial freedom. Saad Jabbar, an International Law Expert, told Al-Jazeera: “This is like going backward to the dark ages. They want to muzzle all opinions that disagree with them.”

Critics say the restrictions could even extend to comedy, including hit shows that poke fun at politicians. And if the charter is applied with force, cartoons lampooning leaders may become a thing of the past. It could make life even more difficult for bloggers like Wael Abbas in Egypt. He’s already spent time in jail after exposing torture by Egyptian police. Another Egyptian blogger Abdel Karim Suleiman is in prison after being convicted of defaming President Mubarak and inciting hatred of Islam.

The irony is that Saudi Arabia is a sponsor of the charter, but Saudi financiers run many of the Arab world’s independent media outlets, including al Arabiya. The only countries not to sign the charter were Lebanon and Qatar, home to al Jazeera.

The charter has caused such a stir that it’s even made it to the cartoon pages - this one showing an Arab journalist carefully avoiding mouse traps.

In the past, Arab League declarations and charters have withered and died - the organization has no executive power. But journalists across the region are worried - some describing it as a dark day for press freedom in the Arab world.

-Octavia Nasr, Senior Editor, Arab Affairs