To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Obama: Don’t Let Israel Bomb Gaza Hospital
Just Foreign Policy
President Obama should demand that the Israeli government refrain from bombing Wafa Hospital and other medical facilities in Gaza protected by international humanitarian law.
Why is this important?
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. [1]
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. [2]
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 our petition.
References:
1. “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
2. “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