For Immediate Release
Israel’s army fired five ‘warning’ missiles at El-Wafa geriatric hospital in Gaza City, Gaza. A New Zealand activist and other International volunteers now staying in the hospital in solidarity, have said they, “can hear missiles falling close by”.
“In attacking el-Wafa rehabilitation hospital, Israel is targeting the most vulnerable patients imaginable – people who are comatose, paralysed, and unable to breathe unassisted,” states New Zealand activist, Huda Julie Webb-Pullman.
The volunteers are citizens of USA, Spain, Sweden, Venezuela, France, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The first barrage of missiles hit the fourth floor of the hospital at 2am.
At approximately 7pm, 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,“ reports Joe Catron, U.S. International Solidarity Movement activist.
At around 8pm, Basman Alashi, executive director of the hospital, received an unidentified call from a person with a, “heavy Israeli accent”, asking if there were any injuries, whether there was anyone on the top floor, and whether they were planning to evacuate the hospital.
Alashi says the hospital will not be evacuated because there is nowhere to evacuate the patients to. “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. 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.”
For more information contact:
+972597406401 Ally Cohen, ISM Media Office (English)
+972592224699 Basman Alashi- executive director of El-Wafa hospital (English, Arabic)
+972595251720 Huda Julie Webb-Pullman, Australia and New Zealand (English)