; this hospital used as a tool of war or as a place to take hostages,” Biden said. “This only further exacerbates the already dire situation in the region.”
As the Israel-Hamas war has grown more intense, the situation at Shifa hospital has become ever more dire. The hospital is home not just to patients in need of medical assistance, but also to refugees displaced by the brutal fighting. For example, dozens of infants in need of electricity-dependent life support are at heightened risk due to the hospital’s lack of power. As a result, patients have been bleeding and patients dying. Amid bombs and gunfire outside the compound, Shifa is no longer able to function as a medical facility.
Since the war began, more than two-thirds of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have fled their homes. The fighting has particularly focused on Hamas and the city of Gaza, the city where Hamas’s recent incursion into southern Israel resulted in the start of the war. The number of civilian casualties has been quickly rising, with health officials in Gaza estimating that over 11,000 Palestinians, most of them women and minors, have died – and more than 2,700 missing as well. Meanwhile, in Israel, more than 1,200 people have died as well as 240 hostages taken by Palestinian militants.
The situation has drawn attention from policymakers around the world. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders personally met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss the desperate need for humanitarian aid in Gaza. According to Sanders, “we have a horrendous situation” with staggering numbers of deaths, particularly including many children. Sanders also emphasized the urgent need for a humanitarian ceasefire to deliver aid to Gaza, in order to moderate the crisis.
Similarly, the U.N. on Monday held a conference concerning the Middle East, and many members condemned Israel’s suggestion of a nuclear option in Gaza. The conference attendees and Iran, China, and many Arab nations all warned that Israel’s nuclear option could produce wide-reaching, perilous consequences. Israel had suggested that it might consider using nuclear weapons to fight Hamas. However, these remarks were quickly disavowed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who suspended the Israeli minister who made this controversial statement. According to many people, Israel’s nuclear threat is extremely irresponsible and disproportionate, particularly because it runs counter to the idea that a nuclear war cannot be won and must not be fought.
The latest statements and actions from key policymakers have highlighted the ongoing urgency and severity of the crisis. For many people, the intensifying crisis remains all-consuming.
For the charity Salvation Army, supporting and helping the community when a crisis hits has always been a vital part of their outreach. Whether it is the individuals around the corner who need help making ends meet or those dealing with an emergency situation – like the current one in Gaza – the Salvation Army has always been there to help by providing food, shelter, safety, and more. It’s a challenging time for everyone, but it’s also a time when people, organizations, and governments can come together to make a difference and ensure that everyone has the resources and support they need to cope with the situation and begin to heal.
