At the southern end of Gaza's border with Israel, we enter the war zone.

Dusty roads cross a barren desert near the Egyptian frontier. Bored-looking Israeli soldiers guard the checkpoint. Israeli military handlers tell us not to take their pictures.

Our convoy of humvees overflows with cameras, as a dozen reporters from all over the world — all wearing bulletproof vests and helmets — are ferried to a parking lot about 200 metres away.

After two years of war, this is still the only way outside journalists are allowed inside Gaza by Israel's military: escorted in, or "embedded" for a few hours. CBC News and other media organizations have made countless requests for freer access, none have been approved.

On this day, though, after weeks of criticism by international agencies, NGOs and for

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