Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are so used to living under difficult conditions that the latest Israeli bombings and border closings do not make much difference in their lives, said a Gaza parish priest.

"It's not worse than it has been. We are so accustomed to what has happened before we don't see any difference. We have been living like this, but nobody spoke about it. Now people are speaking about it," said Father Manuel Musallam of Holy Family Parish in Gaza City.

In a telephone interview with Catholic News Service June 30, Father Musallam said the Israeli bombing of Gaza's only power plant has left people with only about four to six hours of electricity per day, and lack of electricity affects the water pumps. The parish church and school have been able to use a generator for additional electricity, but not everyone has a generator, he said.

"Neighbors around the school ask for one hour of electricity to pull the water up to the roofs," said the priest. "If there is a sick person in need of electricity, we give (it to) them."

Palestinians estimate that once Israel ends the attacks it will take at least six months to repair the power station --- if the necessary equipment is available in the Gaza Strip.

Father Musallam said many windows of the parish school shattered when Israeli jets flew overhead, and the supersonic planes have caused more than 50 doors in the school to shift and jam. He said even he was frightened by the sonic booms the morning of June 30.

"I weigh (280 pounds) but even I wanted to ... hide under my bed," he said, laughing, noting that he has tried to keep his morale and sense of humor intact in order to provide support to his parishioners.

Despite the bombings, he said, people have been trying to keep a semblance of normalcy, and wedding celebrations were still taking place in the neighborhood. However, he added, gas stations have begun to close because of shortages, and his driver had to stand in line for two hours to get five gallons of gasoline.

Father Musallam said he has begun celebrating daily Mass at the parish school chapel so it will be easier for the parishioners -- most of whom live in the Beach Camp refugee camp near the school -- to attend. About 30 people attend daily Mass, he said, and some 100 attend Sunday Mass, which is still held at the church.

Some 2,200 Christians --- 200 of them Catholic --- live among 1.4 million Muslims in Gaza on 146 square miles of land.

A month of violence --- including Palestinians firing Qassam rockets into Israeli cities and the ensuing Israeli retaliatory strikes that killed more than 20 civilians --- has escalated into the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier and the murder of an 18-year-old Jewish settler. Israeli air raids destroyed Gaza City's main bridge. In a bid to force the release of the soldier, Israel also arrested dozens of Hamas officials in the West Bank.

Although Israeli forces had closed off all the border crossings into Gaza, exacerbating fears that existing shortages of food supplies and essential medicines will get worse, the Karni and Nahal Oz crossings were reopened July 2 following security assessments, said a statement from the Israel Defense Forces. The opening allowed for the passage of food items and fuel into the Gaza Strip, it said.

The statement said that Israel continues to supply water and electricity to the Gaza Strip and under the current situation it has increased the amount it supplies.

"The data available shows that the current inventory of basic goods and medicines in the Gaza Strip is in ample supply," it said.

Bernard Sabella, a Catholic member of the Palestinian Parliament, said the increasing violence and arrests of his colleagues were attempts by Israel to "see the Hamas government collapse."

"They are using the opportunity to hit Hamas politically and militarily ... it is most likely strengthening Hamas on the street," said Sabella. "I know (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) is working to end this whole episode peacefully, but there are limits to what he can do. People are also in a state of uncertainty as to what will happen."

Sabella urged the two sides to "find a common ground" and find other ways to "solve outstanding issues."

"If they keep pulverizing our people, what hope do they give them ... and they will come back to a cycle of violence," he said.

Nadia Hilou, a Catholic member of the Israeli parliament, characterized Israeli-Palestinian relations as a downward spiral.

"Now it is the (civilians) who are suffering," she said, noting that there have been victims on both sides. "It is a destructive game of pingpong. We need to take the balls and the paddles away and speak to each other to find a solution. There has to be an end to this, or if not it will be the end of us all."

---CNS