Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Gaza Hospital Deaths


Hundreds of people in a Gaza hospital were killed after a bomb explosion.  Palestinians say it was an Israeli bomb while Israel said it was a failed rocket launch from Islamic Jihad.  Who are we supposed to believe?

Israel is yet to let 500-600 American citizens leave Gaza.  Hamas pretended to have "governing its priority" while it planned its horrific terror attack.  

President Biden visited Israel and said the hospital bombing came from "the other team," as if describing events at a football game.  Biden is physically in Israel, not far from U.S. citizens trapped in Gaza.  How is our close ally not letting them leave?  

As for aid the U.S. and Israel "agreed to develop a plan that will enable..."  Inspiring?  Definitely not.

The common person is not a priority of those in power.   We do get the fallout from their retaliatory impulses.  Seeing widespread death and destruction is heartbreaking.

Update 11-12-23:  On Face the Nation National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Israel is "searching for ways" to keep Gaza City hospital patients safe.  How about not attacking them?  

Sullivan spoke after Margaret Brennan interviewed the head of Doctors Without Borders.  The doctor described non-functioning hospitals jammed with sick babies and post surgical patients.  

Gaza hospitals need to be evacuated to functioning hospitals in the region.  That's what a humane international community would do.  Anything otherwise (what Jake said) is purposeful death and further disability.  

I'm sure Sullivan spoke forcefully about Russia's attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities and the killing of medical workers.  Sullivan told CNN's Fareed Zakharia:

Russia continues to show every single day that it is acting in monstrous ways.

The U.S. public sees America whitewashing Israel's actions, the very same ones for which we condemn Russia.  It's not a good look.

Disclosure:  I helped evacuate two hospitals, one completely inoperable from flooding and the other prior to a Category 5 hurricane.  I can attest inoperable hospitals need to be evacuated ASAP and to the difficulty of moving hospitalized patients in a limited time frame.  Neither of those evacuations was in a war zone.

Update 11-13-23:  The Guardian has a piece on the situation at one Gaza hospital.  It's a nightmare.  NBC News reported:

U.S. President Joe Biden said Shifa hospital “ must be protected ” and called for “less intrusive action” by Israeli forces. 

It's more than a little late....

Update 11-15-23:  100 State Department officials signed a letter regarding Israel's war with Gaza, calling it genocide and citing war crimes under international law.  The letter stated President Biden is complicit with genocide.

Update 11-19-23:  WHO called Gaza hospital a death zone.

Update 4-5-24:  The world is horrified by the killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza. Jesse's Crossroads Cafe wrote:

Over 30,000 innocent civilians and 196 aid workers have been systematically targeted and murdered in Gaza in this ongoing act of ethnic cleansing. The aid workers and food convoys are being targeted to promote the starvation of a civilian population. Their lies and phony claims are disgraceful, and transparent to the rest of the world. Yesterday's strike that targeted seven Western aid workers has finally provoked a response. More misery and pain is being inflicted in the West Bank, in what can only be said as a 'grab for land' of other people.