The humanitarian disaster in Gaza

The horror now being inflicted in Gaza is a humanitarian disaster, a strategic debacle, and a political nightmare. President Biden has embraced the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu while urging more consideration for civilian casualties, murmurings that have largely been ignored.

- Jesse Jackson

The violence heaped on the Palestinians in Gaza cannot be justified. Yes, this current round of violence was triggered by the criminal terrorist Hamas attacks on Israeli citizens, which killed over 1,400 people, including many women and children. Israeli retaliation – and the desire to eliminate Hamas – is understandable. But now that retaliation has left 15,000 dead and counting, including over 6,000 children. Nearly 70 percent of the Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced from their homes. The cutoff of food, fuel, and water, the bombing of hospitals, and the blocking of anything close to adequate humanitarian relief have spread hunger, disease, and growing casualties. The "pause” that allowed the release of some hostages and the increase in some humanitarian relief was too short and too limited. Now Israel is bombing in the south, the very area that they told Gazans to evacuate to. If Israel’s retaliation is understandable, its strategy has been unspeakable and indefensible.