Gaza Health Services Near Collapse as Medics Killed, WHO Says

[DogPoundPup]

By Simeon Bennett

Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Health services in the Gaza Strip are on the point of collapse as medical supplies pile up at the borders and hospitals are overwhelmed, the World Health Organization said, citing the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Twenty-one medical personnel have been killed and 30 injured, and 11 ambulances have been hit since Israel began an offensive in the territory on Dec. 27, the Geneva-based WHO said in a statement on its Web site. Health workers are exhausted and hospitals that depend on generators for power are running out of fuel, the WHO said.

“There is now a serious risk of outbreaks of communicable disease, such as acute respiratory infections, measles and acute watery diarrhea, all of which have potential for high mortality among children,” the United Nations agency said.

At least 700 Palestinians have died in the conflict and 3,000 have been wounded, including 24 yesterday, said Mu’awia Hassanein, chief of emergency medical services in Gaza. About 13,000 people have been displaced, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601202&sid=aDBt4FMTVV0E&refer=healthcare

[stillcool]

1. shock and awe..

I can't take it in. Even after Fallujah.

[scarletwoman]

2. Anyone who defends this shit is inhuman.

I refuse to support "Israel's right to exist" if this is what it takes.

The Israelis can emigrate elsewhere and give up their fantasy of reclaiming some useless land that their supposed ancestors used to live on 2000+ years ago.

sw

[azurnoir]

3. Israel's right to exist most certainly does not take this

and not all Israeli's support this either if you have not read it already here is a thread for you

How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x240494

BTW despite charges otherwise I do support Israel's right to exist

[scarletwoman]

5. I am aware that not all Israelis support the policies of their right wing militarist government.

Just as so many of us have never supported the U.S. government's depradations around the planet.

But they, like us, have the fortunate circumstance of being citizens of the country who wields the sword.

So what it comes down to is this: Is your life and comfort more important and deserving of preservation than the lives of those who are murdered in your name?

sw

[Ghost Dog]

4. ... And those ancestors moved in aggressively

from somewhere else (a lot more than 2000 years ago), history tells.

[scarletwoman]

6. Well, yeah. If you go by the Old Testament, it's all about slaughtering this group and that group,

so that the tribes of Judah could take over. But that kind of shit went down all the time back in the day.

The question is; why should anyone put up with this same kind of depradation in this day and age?

sw