Israel bombs empty Gaza hospital, calling it Hamas command center

[bemildred]

"theatrical micro-militarism"

Israel bombed Gaza’s Al-Wafa Hospital from the air on Wednesday, saying it was being used as a Hamas command center and rocket-launching site.

The hospital was empty, after its patients and medical staff had left on July 17. Contrary to reports, militants had not been in the hospital before its evacuation.

The Israel Defense Forces said the strike was aimed at “specific terror targets within the hospital compound.” It said Hamas operatives had fired at IDF forces in recent days from the compound, using light weapons and anti-tank fire “which increased in recent hours, endangering our troops.”

The IDF tweeted that a rocket had been fired from the hospital and accompanied the tweet by a photograph on which the rocket’s “launching point” had been marked. However, members of Solidarity International who stayed in the hospital between July 11-17 as a human shield claimed the building in the photo marked “Al-Wafa” hospital is in fact not the hospital at all but the [building of the ] Right to Life Society.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.606912

[Jefferson23]

1. Would this travesty go with the hashtag..they made me do it ? n/t

[bemildred]

2. The USA does this sort of stupid bombing stuff too.

But I think they are running out of non-ludicrous targets now. Which also happens in US bombing campaigns. When your enemies are poorly armed peasants and refugees and whatnot, finding something suitable to bomb gets difficult after a while. And since the real purpose is terror, intimidation, things start to get awkward when you start re-pounding the already thoroughly pounded, it looks nuts, because it is nuts.

The question now is whether Israel decides it has to live with Hamas and negotiates, or it goes in whole hog and tries to "euphemism of choice" Hamas from Gaza. Opinions seems to be divided about that. I've been reading some Israeli discussions about the meaning of the tunnels. They see them as a strategic threat, and I tend to agree, if Hamas keeps the tunnels, it will change the rules of the game. Hamas will have a credible deterrent, a small one, but well-protected, and real.

[Jefferson23]

3. I believe Israel was warned about the tunnels some time ago but the politicians ignored

the information. The crazy bombing will continue while they figure out their next move..sick.

[azurnoir]

4. horribly not running out

Israel shells U.N.-run school in Gaza Strip, killing at least 10

A U.N.-run school crowded with Palestinian evacuees in the northern part of the Gaza Strip came under shelling on Thursday, leaving at least 15 people dead and more than 100 wounded, Palestinian officials said.

Several shells hit the main building and courtyard of the elementary school run by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Beit Hanoun, witnesses and Palestinian officials said. They said the school was filled with women and children who had fled their homes to escape more than two weeks of fighting between Israel and Hamas, the militant Palestinian Islamist group that runs the Gaza Strip.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/israel-hamas-show-no-signs-of-bowing-to-pressure-for-truce/2014/07/24/90213d90-1305-11e4-8936-26932bcfd6ed_story.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=854607

call me jaded but I knew we were seeing a lead in to something like this

[Jefferson23]

5. Jaded? More likely just realistic, based on past history.

Unspeakable events...sickening.

[bemildred]

6. I saw a story today somewhere that said the bombing was slacking off.

They may be running out of stuff. It's been a couple weeks. You have to wonder how Hamas is doing with supplies too.

I'd say you've seen this movie before.