International solidarity activists, including American journalist Joe Catron, are acting as “human shields” to prevent the Israeli military from bombing Wafa Hospital in Gaza.
Urge President Obama and your representatives in Congress to demand that Israel refrain from bombing Wafa Hospital and other medical facilities in Gaza protected by international humanitarian law by signing our petition at MoveOn:
https://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/dont-bomb-Gaza-hospital
As of Wednesday morning, 213 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, including at least 34 children. [1] [2] About 80% of the casualties have been civilians, according to the UN. [3]
Wafa Hospital in Gaza’s Shujaiyya district has already been hit twice by Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli military has told the hospital to evacuate, but the hospital’s staff say that 16 elderly and terminally ill patients are too frail to move. [4]
When an Israeli military officer called the hospital late on Tuesday warning that it must be evacuated by 8AM Wednesday morning, Dr. Basman Alashi, the hospital’s executive director, called the World Health Organization, saying that such a move would risk the lives of patients.
On Wednesday, while many inhabitants of the surrounding area were fleeing in response to Israeli bombardment warnings, Dr. Alashi, 16 medical staff members and the same number of patients stayed behind.
They have been joined by eight international solidarity activists, including American journalist Joe Catron, who have volunteered to act as human shields at the hospital. [5]
Press President Obama and Members of Congress to demand that Israel not bomb Wafa Hospital or other medical facilities in Gaza protected by international humanitarian law by signing and sharing our petition:
https://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/dont-bomb-Gaza-hospital
Thanks for all you do to help protect innocent civilians from the scourge of war,
Robert Naiman and Megan Iorio
Just Foreign Policy
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References:
1. “Gaza under siege: naming the dead,” Al Jazeera, July 16, 2013, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/07/gaza-under-seige-naming-dead-2014710105846549528.html
2. “Monday Update: Death toll of children rises as Israel pummels Gaza,” Defense for Children International Palestine, July 14, 2014, http://www.dci-palestine.org/documents/eight-children-killed-israeli-airstrikes-over-gaza
3. “UN: 80 per cent of Palestinians killed in Israeli offensive are civilians,” Robert Tait, The Telegraph, July14, 2014, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/10967279/UN-80-per-cent-of-Palestinians-killed-in-Israeli-offensive-are-civilians.html
4. “Gaza hospital defies Israel evacuation warning amid fears for frail patients,” Robert Tait, The Telegraph, 16 July 2014, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/palestinianauthority/10970795/Gaza-hospital-defies-Israel-evacuation-warning-amid-fears-for-frail-patients.html
5. “American among volunteer human shields at Gaza hospital,” Daniella Cheslow, McClatchy, July 13, 2014, http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/07/13/233190/american-among-volunteer-human.html