Gaza hospital struck by missiles; int’l volunteers gather to protect it

Approximately an hour later, Basman Alashi, executive director of the hospital, received a phone call from someone speaking in Arabic with a clearly Israeli accent, asking if there were injuries, whether there was anyone on the top floor, and whether they were planning to evacuate the hospital. According to Alashi, that would not be possible. “El-Wafa hospital serves the patients that need medical attention 24 hours a day, including patients that can’t move, or people who need to be fed by tube,” he said to the ISM. “This hospital is the only one in Gaza specializing in the rehabilitation of people who need physical and occupational therapy. All our patients are over 60 years old, men and women. We don’t understand why the Israeli forces have fired five rockets at the hospital in the last 24 hours so far. We serve humanity,” he added. The IDF did not respond to calls for justification of the attack.

Eight international volunteers, from the US, Spain, Sweden, Venezuela, France, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, have maintained a presence in the hospital, in the hopes of preventing further missile attacks. As of this writing, there have been no more attacks on the hospital and no serious injuries. The volunteers, however, continue to take shifts, forming a protective shield for the patients.