Jane Araf

Well, we took off from an air base about an hour from Amman and flew along the Dead Sea then into Israel. In Israel, you can see built up communities and green fields. And then it's a very stark difference when you cross over into Gaza. From the air, we could see skeletons of buildings hit by Israeli airstrikes and others in rubble. And in the distance, there was that Mediterranean coastline.

Well, we took off from an air base about an hour from Amman and flew along the Dead Sea then into Israel. In Israel, you can see built up communities and green fields. And then it's a very stark difference when you cross over into Gaza. From the air, we could see skeletons of buildings hit by Israeli airstrikes and others in rubble. And in the distance, there was that Mediterranean coastline.

So, A, we landed just within Israel's buffer zone in Gaza, not far from the city of Daraballah. And it was a very rare glimpse of Gaza, even that limited view, because Gaza journalists have been reporting from there at great risk from the start. But Israel, for the most part, bans foreign organizations, news organizations from Gaza.

So, A, we landed just within Israel's buffer zone in Gaza, not far from the city of Daraballah. And it was a very rare glimpse of Gaza, even that limited view, because Gaza journalists have been reporting from there at great risk from the start. But Israel, for the most part, bans foreign organizations, news organizations from Gaza.

So, A, we landed just within Israel's buffer zone in Gaza, not far from the city of Daraballah. And it was a very rare glimpse of Gaza, even that limited view, because Gaza journalists have been reporting from there at great risk from the start. But Israel, for the most part, bans foreign organizations, news organizations from Gaza.

It was really surreal because you don't see anything living in that part of it, Deir el-Bawah, which has been heavily hit. I mean, really, from what we were seeing, it was just rubble. And it's important to note that Israel prevented us, according to the Jordanian authorities, from taking photographs on the ground of what we were seeing.

It was really surreal because you don't see anything living in that part of it, Deir el-Bawah, which has been heavily hit. I mean, really, from what we were seeing, it was just rubble. And it's important to note that Israel prevented us, according to the Jordanian authorities, from taking photographs on the ground of what we were seeing.

It was really surreal because you don't see anything living in that part of it, Deir el-Bawah, which has been heavily hit. I mean, really, from what we were seeing, it was just rubble. And it's important to note that Israel prevented us, according to the Jordanian authorities, from taking photographs on the ground of what we were seeing.

The only thing we could take photos of once we landed were the buffer zone and the helicopter. But to actually see it real, in real life, was really unreal.

The only thing we could take photos of once we landed were the buffer zone and the helicopter. But to actually see it real, in real life, was really unreal.

The only thing we could take photos of once we landed were the buffer zone and the helicopter. But to actually see it real, in real life, was really unreal.

Those are going to be tough. That coveted coastline that Trump officials have their eye on is Palestinian territory, and Jordan sees the plan as an existential threat. So Jordan is a key ally and security partner, and it's made clear it would see Israel trying to relocate more Palestinians here as a breach of their peace treaty and a declaration of war.

Those are going to be tough. That coveted coastline that Trump officials have their eye on is Palestinian territory, and Jordan sees the plan as an existential threat. So Jordan is a key ally and security partner, and it's made clear it would see Israel trying to relocate more Palestinians here as a breach of their peace treaty and a declaration of war.

Those are going to be tough. That coveted coastline that Trump officials have their eye on is Palestinian territory, and Jordan sees the plan as an existential threat. So Jordan is a key ally and security partner, and it's made clear it would see Israel trying to relocate more Palestinians here as a breach of their peace treaty and a declaration of war.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

This message comes from Noom, using psychology and biology to build personal meal plans to fit your lifestyle, taking into account dietary restrictions, medical issues, and other personal needs. Sign up for your trial today at Noom.com.

This message comes from Noom, using psychology and biology to build personal meal plans to fit your lifestyle, taking into account dietary restrictions, medical issues, and other personal needs. Sign up for your trial today at Noom.com.

This message is brought to you by NPR sponsor, Shopify. It's 2025, a new year with new opportunities. The best time to start your new business is right now. Go to shopify.com slash NPR, all lowercase, to sign up for a $1 per month trial period today.