Danish journalist: I was shocked how they celebrate death

Danish journalist: I was shocked how they celebrate death

Shocking photograph of Israelis celebrating bombing of Gaza was posted on Twitter by Danish journalist Allan Sorensen.

How did the photo come to life? Can you please explain the circumstances?

Well I went to to hilltop near Sderot because I wanted to get an overview of Gaza. I know the spot from previous visits. When I arrived I saw - to my astonishment I must say - apprx 60 people standing and sitting on the hilltop. Some of them with coffee, some with popcorn and others sitting on small camping chairs.

For the record, to sit on the hilltop on a night like that is extremely dangerous as rockets were fired frequently from Gaza. I understand that people are curious. The view of Gaza from the hilltop is clear and very wide. After being there for 15 minutes I heard loud explosions inside Gaza and then for the first time heard the local Israelis clapping their hands and cheering.

This is the moment I took the picture and sent it out on Twitter. To me it was an unusual situation standing in the middle of a cheering crowd while I knew that during the same day both women and children had died as a result of Israeli air strikes.

What was your first reaction when you saw those people? Is this something you've seen before in the Middle East?

Yes I am familiar with this behavior. Mostly from the Palestinian side, when for example Israelis are killed in a suicide bomb in Jerusalem. Then sweets are handed out to people in Gaza to celebrate. Or even during this conflict when Hamas fires on Jerusalem, Palestinians in East Jerusalem are cheering loudly. It is less common to me to...