As the Israeli armoured personnel carrier clatters across Gaza, the only glimpse I get of the decimated hellscape outside comes through two tiny video screens.
Everything is flattened; everything destroyed. So many buildings have been levelled in this bloody war that vast mounds of pulverized concrete litter the landscape and mix in the Mediterranean breeze with grit, dirt and filth.
It seeps into every crevice, penetrating even the IDF vehicle's armour, and clings to the throat leaving me choking and gasping for air.
But I don't have time to catch my breath - we have arrived. The armour-plated rear hatch yawns open and I now see Gaza City with my own eyes.
I am one of a handful of journalists allowed into the Strip's capital for the first time since Israel launched its ground offensive in September.
