Nowhere is the evil of Hamas more evident than in their use of the largest hospital in Gaza City as a military headquarters. Put quite simply, that is a war crime.
Hamas’ use of vulnerable civilians as shields in conflict is cowardly … evil … and (worth saying again) a war crime. The terrorist organization uses the most vulnerable of people in the most vulnerable of situations – in a major hospital – as the location for a headquarters command center.
Al Shifa Hospital is not just a building. It is a several acre complex of buildings. Below the medical facility is the Hamas command center serviced by a web of tunnels.
In the open areas around the hospital buildings, Hamas had established tent cities for those fleeing the area impacted by the War. Ponder that. Hamas is packing the land above their military headquarters with thousands of civilians even as the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is warning people to leave that area.
It is also noteworthy that the underground Hamas headquarters continues to operate with fuel and electricity even as the Hospital above is denied those existential needs. Nothing new there. Hamas has had ample fuel in storage to provide for the basic needs of those hospitals, but has hoarded it for their own terrorist purposes.
The hospital medical staff are forced to lie about the existence of the Hamas facility. Some weapons have already been found stored in the hospital proper.
Conversely, the IDF is bringing medical supplies, generators and incubators into the hospital to enable the medical staff to carry out their life-saving missions for those physically unable to leave the Hospital. Arab speaking members of the IDF are on the scene to facilitate the delivery of the supplies.
Cynically, Hamas has been blocking civilian travel to southern Gaza even as Israel has established safe corridors and temporary pauses in attacks to facilitate the movement. When alive Hamas uses civilians as shields – and when killed, for public relations benefit.
While Israel is taking measures to minimize civilian casualties, Hamas engages in practices that maximizes them. It is said that when a Jew dies, Hamas celebrates – and when a Palestinian dies, Hamas celebrates.
Tragically, many more Palestinian men, women and children died than should have because Hamas used them has a wall of protection – and as pawns in their public relations campaign against the Israeli response to the savage attack on people from 32 nations residing and visiting Israel. The main focus of the Hamas attack was ironically a holiday peace festival.
There is little doubt that the IDF will eventually take control of the Al Shifa Hospital – and the underground Hamas military facility. The high number of civilian casualties in the War – and in the hospital compound — is the responsibility of Hamas and their disregard for human life on both sides of the conflict.
The just and necessary war against Hamas cannot be carried out without the unfortunate result of what the military cynically describes as “collateral damage.” It is a constant in all conflicts – from wars to terrorist attacks. The Irael-Hamas War is having a high number of civilian deaths because Gaza is a very crowded territory and Hamas is consolidating civilians around their high value military operations.
The relatively worthless United Nations should at least focus on the war crimes by Hamas instead of condemning the justified response by Israel. The world understands that entering into a ceasefire is not an option. And that this international terrorist backed war is only one phase of the existential worldwide battle against terrorism.
So, there ‘tis.