Teenager live tweets Israeli bombardment of Gaza

Updates from Farah Baker, 16, convey the terror of life under conflict.

Tue, 29 Jul, 2014 - 16:10

Conor Hallahan

Last night's Israeli bombardment of Gaza was the heaviest since the conflict began on July 8, with over 100 Palestinians killed.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said it carried out about 70 airstrikes overnight, hitting targets including the enclave's only power station and a media complex in central Gaza City housing a Hamas-run TV and radio station.

As the shells rained down, locals and journalists on the ground in Gaza maintained a stream of posts to social media platforms, bringing the horror of warfare into the living rooms and hands of followers the world over.

Among those live-tweeting at the height of the bombardment, one feed stood out - the updates of 16-year-old Farah Baker, who documented her feelings as the bombs fell around her, posting multiple pictures and short videos that conveyed a sense of her terror.

Tweeting under the name @Farah_Gazan, her updates earned her thousands of new followers as well as countless messages of support.

I'm 16yrs old and have witnessed 3 wars, as I see, this is the hardest one #Gaza #GazaUnderAttack #GazaUnderFire #AJAGAZA #ICC4Israel
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 28, 2014

Some of those updates were heartbreaking.

They are bombing heavily in my area. This is the worst night in this war. I just want you to know that I might martyr at any moment #Gaza
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 28, 2014

This is in my area. I can't stop crying. I might die tonight #Gaza #GazaUnderAttack #ICC4Israel #AJAGAZA pic.twitter.com/DdDBIO7Q4B
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 28, 2014

As she tweeted, Farah revealed that she also had a younger sister.

Whenever my 6 yrs old sis hear the rocket falling she covers her ears and shout while crying in order not to hear the bomb #Gaza #AJAGAZA
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 28, 2014

This is a picture of her sister.

@CarleoniKhan pic.twitter.com/SVAKGyu8v4
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 22, 2014

At the onset of the bombardment, the sky was filled with Israeli flares that serve to illuminate targets for the military.

Flares in the sky allll the time #Gaza #GazaUnderAttack #AJAGAZA #ICC4Israel pic.twitter.com/v6xOiwIX6I
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 28, 2014

As she continued to tweet Farah began to make a note of the time, giving a sense of the chronology of how things were unfolding.

Flares in the sky now 1:32am #Gaza https://t.co/pBatVMfm5B
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 28, 2014

Some time after midnight, the bombing began in earnest. Some of the blasts sounded frighteningly close.

Hugeee explosion now 1:39am #Gaza https://t.co/U843UHp00J
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 28, 2014

And there were a lot of them.

Okay. The 8163662 bomb I could hear today! This is UNBELIEVABLE!! #Gaza 2:13am https://t.co/5TYzWmvsJY
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 28, 2014

Between the blasts, the flares continued to light up the night sky.

Flares now 2:45am #Gaza #GazaUnderAttack #AJAGAZA pic.twitter.com/MkJLTknBp8
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 28, 2014

While smoke filled the air from exploding ordnance.

Smoke of a bomb seen from my home now #Gaza pic.twitter.com/9DJeHbpbjz
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 29, 2014

The bombardment lasted into the early hours of the morning.

3:04am it should be too dark but as u can see flares turned darkness into light #Gaza https://t.co/SF3buL7eC1
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 29, 2014

By her account, the bombardment was worse than any before experienced by Gazans.

Rockets and flares are falling over #Gaza like the heavy rain of January #GazaUnderAttack #AJAGAZA #ICC4Israel #ISupportGaza
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 29, 2014

Farah eventually stopped tweeting, but to the relief of her followers reappeared again this morning.

I COULD SURVIVE LAST NIGHT!! I AM ALIVE!! Alhamdulillah #Gaza
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 29, 2014

She was grateful for the thousands of messages of support sent to her.

I wannn thank all of u 4 supporting me, and I'm really sorry 4 not answering but I was really so nervous and unable 2 talk 2 anybody. #Gaza
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 29, 2014

In previous tweets, Farah has made no secret of her support for Hamas.

Qassam resistance just thrown a rocket to Israel. Allahu Akbar :D pray for them pic.twitter.com/3ZoOhFZTaw
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 10, 2014

While she survived last night's bombardment, previous shelling has caused damage to Farah's house.

My house windows #Gaza #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/TdWkCpYGCF
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 25, 2014

She earlier tweeted that her father was a neurosurgeon.

In my dad's hand (neuro surgeon) a fragment from the brain of a 9 years old child #GazaUnderAttack #AJAGAZA pic.twitter.com/uSgvufn8A0
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 25, 2014

And that the four boys killed by an Israeli shell while playing football on the beach (July 16) were related to her.

My relatives when bombed when they were playing football in the seaport near their shop! WHY?! #Gaza pic.twitter.com/1U0stzk3lL
— Farah Baker (@Farah_Gazan) July 17, 2014

While last night's Israeli bombardment was ongoing, Hamas militants were also firing rockets at Israel, according to the IDF. The Israeli military says that over 2,600 such rockets have been launched at Israel in three weeks.

UPDATE: Moments ago, 3 rockets were fired from Gaza. Iron Dome intercepted 1 above Ashdod; 2 hit open areas in central Israel.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 29, 2014

The IDF said that last night's bombardment was aimed at destroying Hamas infrastructure and weapons caches.

Last night, we struck 4 massive weapons caches that Hamas hid inside of mosques. pic.twitter.com/aNUg81E5QR
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 29, 2014

More than 1,110 Palestinians have been killed and more than 6,500 wounded since July 8, according to Ashraf al-Kidra, a Gaza health official. The UN has estimated that 75% of those killed are civilians.

Israel has lost 53 soldiers, along with two civilians and a Thai worker.

The final word goes to Farah.