Gaza: As bombs explode in Gaza, Palestinian teenager Farah Baker grabs her smartphone or laptop before ducking for cover to tap out tweets that capture the drama of the tumult and fear around her.
The 16-year-old's prolific posts on Twitter have made her a social media sensation through the month-old conflict. Once a little known high school athlete, Baker's following on the Web site has jumped from a mere 800 to a whopping 166,000.
Living near Gaza City's Shifa Hospital, where her father is a surgeon, provides Baker with a live feed of blaring ambulance sirens in addition to blasts from Israeli air strikes and shelling attacks.
Baker often records these and posts video clips to provide followers with a quick personal glimpse of the war.
A tweet from Aug. 1 included a link to a video of a darkened street punctuated by the sounds of repeated explosions. In another tweet Baker tells of hiding from the shelling in one of the rooms of her home.
"I am trying to tell the world about what I feel and what is happening where I live," Baker told Reuters at her Gaza home, adding that she has been "trying to make other people feel as if they are experiencing it, too".
Baker, whose Twitter profile photo shows a blue-eyed frightened looking young woman calling herself "Guess what", or @Farah_Gazan, said she's surprised at the popularity she has garnered.
"I did not expect it. I was writing for a small circle of people, and the number has become too many," she said.
Baker dreams of becoming a lawyer, hoping to use that profession as a means to advocate for crowded and impoverished Gaza, a coastal territory wedged between Israel and Egypt.
It isn't always easy to overcome her fears to tweet, but she feels compelled to go on.
"I see this is the only way I can help Gaza, showing what is happening here. Sometimes I tweet while am crying or too scared but I tell myself, I should not stop," Baker said.
The 16-year-old's prolific posts on Twitter have made her a social media sensation through the month-old conflict. Once a little known high school athlete, Baker's following on the Web site has jumped from a mere 800 to a whopping 166,000.
Living near Gaza City's Shifa Hospital, where her father is a surgeon, provides Baker with a live feed of blaring ambulance sirens in addition to blasts from Israeli air strikes and shelling attacks.
A tweet from Aug. 1 included a link to a video of a darkened street punctuated by the sounds of repeated explosions. In another tweet Baker tells of hiding from the shelling in one of the rooms of her home.
Advertisement
Baker, whose Twitter profile photo shows a blue-eyed frightened looking young woman calling herself "Guess what", or @Farah_Gazan, said she's surprised at the popularity she has garnered.
Advertisement
Baker dreams of becoming a lawyer, hoping to use that profession as a means to advocate for crowded and impoverished Gaza, a coastal territory wedged between Israel and Egypt.
Advertisement
"I see this is the only way I can help Gaza, showing what is happening here. Sometimes I tweet while am crying or too scared but I tell myself, I should not stop," Baker said.
© Thomson Reuters 2014
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Israeli Forces Claim To Have Destroyed 50 Hamas Tunnels Since Last Month 17 Palestinians Killed In Israeli Strike On Gaza Amid Raging War Israeli Air Strike Kills Nine In Southern Lebanon Life On Earth Originates From One Ancestor, Older Than Previously Believed Omar Abdullah On What Should Be J&K Assembly's 1st Move After Polls Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah To Be Prosecuted In Land Scam Case TasteAtlas Shares Top 10 Best And Worst American Foods, Internet Disagrees Telangana Man Dies In US, Family Asks Government To Help Bring Back Body JAM 2025: All You Need To Know About Joint Admission Test For Masters Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.