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Gaza hospital struck by missiles; int’l volunteers gather to protect it
International volunteers in Gaza say the IDF has fired five ‘warning’ missiles at el-Wafa geriatric hospital in Gaza City, Gaza. The hospital, which serves as a rehabilitation center for people above the age of 60 – including, in the past, for some victims of Israel’s attacks – currently serves 39 patients over 60-years-old, 14 of which require urgent care.
According to international volunteers at the hospital, the first missiles hit the fourth floor of the hospital around 2 AM. At approximately 7 PM, a fifth missile hit the hospital. “Windows and doors were blown out, broken glass everywhere, damage to the stairs, there’s a big hole at the impact area and the wall is burnt,“ said Joe Catron, a volunteer from the USA.
Basman Alashi, executive director of el-Wafa Hospital in eastern Gaza City, holds part of an Israeli projectile that struck the hospital’s fourth floor Friday evening, demolishing a wall and damaging doors and windows. (Photo by Charlie Andreasson)
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.
Source: http://philosophers-stone.co.uk/wordpress/2014/07/gaza-hospital-struck-by-missiles-intl-volunteers-gather-to-protect-it/
