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At Gaza hospital, they 'need everything'

Posted: Monday, March 03, 2008 1:20 PM
Filed Under:

By Tom Aspell, NBC News Correspondent

  GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – A 15-year-old Palestinian boy lay dying today in the intensive care unit of Gaza’s Shifa Hospital. Both his legs had been amputated above the knees after injuries sustained by what the hospital admission center called "an explosive device."  

The boy was connected to a respirator, his heart beat was strong, but there was no brain activity and doctors said he probably wouldn’t live long.

There was no frantic activity to try to save his life because the intensive care unit was already overcrowded and doctors were needed to work on patients with a better chance of survival. All of the beds were occupied by young men, all of them unconscious.

Image: Palestinian relatives of Abdallah al-Shnat, who was killed by Israeli troops on Sunday, mourn.
SLIDESHOW: Clashes in Gaza
When I asked one of the doctors if the unit was equipped to handle so many casualties and if it was short of any supplies, he said, "We need everything."

Israeli offensive
Gaza has just experienced a four-day assault launched by Israel to stop Palestinian militants firing rockets into Israeli territory. Early Monday morning a column of Israeli tanks withdrew from positions it occupied last week in the Palestinian refugee camp of Jebalya, two miles inside the Gaza border.

Warplanes and missile firing helicopters hunting for Palestinian leaders spearheaded Israel’s ground attack. More than 117 Palestinians were killed. According to hospitals in Gaza City, at least half of the casualties were civilians, including women and children. Two Israeli soldiers were killed during the attack.

Israeli officers say Palestinian fighters loyal to the militant group Hamas appeared to have improved their battle skills in the past year, making good use of ground cover to launch flanking moves against advancing Israeli armor.

But it’s a one-sided battle against Israeli air power operating live battlefield surveillance from helicopters and pilot-less airplanes equipped with cameras that can see in the dark.

Hamas claims victory despite toll
The latest assault on Gaza was halted amid international condemnation from the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and the European Union of what was viewed as Israel’s disproportionate use of force to avenge the death of an Israeli civilian killed last week by a rocket fired from Gaza.

Israel insists it reserves the right to launch further attacks to protect its citizens. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a parliamentary committee Monday that more military operations against Gaza were highly likely. 

Despite the lopsided casualty toll, Palestinian militants Monday morning claimed victory.

Mohammed al-Zahar, a senior official in Hamas, the militant Palestinian group which controls the Gaza Strip, appeared briefly at a small rally in Gaza City.

"Hamas will rebuild any property damaged by Israeli’s in their attack," he said. "And Hamas will continue to fight."

Zahar is a high-value target for the Israeli military, which has killed dozens of Hamas officials with missiles fired from helicopters during the past year.  So his appearance in public, speaking from the back of a pick-up truck and surrounded by masked bodyguards, was short.

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Comments

When talks are called for you talk, you don't allow terrorists to launch rockets, suicide attacks or other deadly events at will.
If these people really want this to stop, then STOP!

Rick (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 2:03 PM)

How sad that these people have to spend their whole lives deciding on which patch of land they can homestead on.

L.Smith,Buffalo,NY (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 2:12 PM)

What they "need" is to stop firing rockets into Israel. They have their own land now and since they choose to declare war on a country that country has every right to do whatever it takes to defend themselves. If that right is to cut off aid to force the government to it's knees then so be it, even at the expense of civilians. The Palestinians are not rational people, none of them! They have had opportunities to have their own official country but ask any of them what it would take for them to accept the deal and they'll all say,"every square inch of Israel". The UN playing two sides against the middle is not the solution, it's a large part of the problem.

Toby Hill (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 2:15 PM)

Their deaths are the fault of the HAMAS terrorists.  I am sorry for the loss of life, but when the children are also brought up by these freaking lunatics to want to destroy a country that is defending itself, they are the responsibility of the ones firing the missiles.  I can't and won't feel sorry for the dead.  You NEVER, NEVER, EVER hear about an Israeli missile being launched into a family's home in Gaza.  You NEVER hear about indoctrination of youth in Israeli schools being brought to a fever pitch about the destruction of Palestinians.  In Gaza, you have maniacs using women and children as HUMAN SHIELDS.  Sometimes even voluntarily.  They deserve then what they get.  Plain and simple, and the blood be on their own hands.  I am a Jew and I have seen Israeli in a beautiful light.  If the Palestinans were sm,art, they would take what they have and leave the region.  They just destroy everything they touch.  They are interested in taking more and more.  Israeli hard labor has turned a desert into a garden.  The Palestinians just destroy.  The next Offensive into Gaza should be a total elimination.  If you stand in the way,  you get eliminated.  PERIOD

Mikael , Tampa, Fl (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 2:43 PM)

Israelis have the right to defend their citizens. I bet to any country in the world,If one sovereign country attacks onother country then its only justified to retaliate militarily.

Rogelio Palmones Bloomfield New Jersey (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 2:46 PM)

The fact the USA is letting this take place by providening Israel with billions of dollars for their
"defense" is sickening!  I do not want to hear about what the Germans did to the Jewish population many years ago when the Jews are doing the same thing to the Palestinian population today.  Stealing their land, putting them behind walls like concentration camps, cutting off food, oil, medical supplies, etc...
Killing children...See photos of all children killed this past week; (www.NormanFinkerstein.com) web site.
These killings have gone on since the 1940s when Palestine was given to the Jewish people by the British and USA with much bloodshed.  Read about United Nations and humanitarian rulings.  Israel is a predjudice state with out equal rights for religions and ethnic groups.  Why do we support this country?

Deb-Z, Providence, RI (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 2:52 PM)

No mention is made of the fact that Israel has opened a crossing and sent in trucks full of medical supplies and other necessities!  Meanwhile, the Palestinians continue to send Israel rockets in exchange.  Also, Israel is treating wounded Palestians in Israeli hospitals.  Does anyone think that a captured wounded Israeli would be treated in a Gaza hospital?  Israeli taxpayers pay for food, medicine, etc. for the people of Gaza while Hamas spends its billions in foreign aid on rockets to send to Israel. As for what Gaza has just experienced, the towns of Sderot and Ashqelon had just experienced 50 rockets landing on them from Gaza in one day - the day before the Israeli offensive.  It is not Israel's fault that their weapons are more successful.  What matters in a war is the intent to kill, not the success rate.  In any case, Hamas boasts that their weapons are getting better, so maybe (G_d forbid)the ratio of Israeli deaths to Palestinian deaths will change.  If they want to stop their suffering, all they have to do is stop sending rockets into Israel.  What is so hard to understand about that? Do they think that just because they have a grievance with Israel, they have a right to keep firing without Israel firing back? It will be interesting so see if this comment gets approved.

Fran Hutner, Netanya, Israel (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 2:53 PM)

this is cruel and offensive when it is suggested that the citzens of Sderot, the city Hamas focuses over 500 missiles at is unaffected, that its people are never wounded or killed, that they ought to simply suffer in silence without the protection of their government.  If rockets were falling on YOU what would YOU like your government to do?
as for the lack of medical care? whose problem is this? the palestinians wanted their own land, under their own governance, and they elected Hamas to represent them. why is the lack of essential human services blamed on Israel?  

Molly O'Brien, La Jolla CA (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 2:58 PM)

    The Palestinians believe that they start a war and emerge unscathed.  You mean there is a war?  Yes.  Palestinians are firing missiles and mortars by the hundreds into Israel proper (imagine what we would do to Mexico if they did this to San Diego), which injure, main and kill innocent Israeli civilians.  We aer supposed to feel sorry for them when Israel retaliates.  Did you know that none of the Palestinians want peace with Israel?  If so, why would they tolerate these acts of war?

Ilbert Phillips, Culver City, California (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 3:06 PM)

since the arabs claim they won, they can go down the street into Israeli an pick up what they need. who would ever stop the victor. liar liar pants on fire.  Buildings on fire to boot.

jon do, settle, wash. (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 3:07 PM)

When will the Isrealis start to follow the teachings of God who gave them blessings with conditions? when will the Palestinian factions carrying out terroristic practices cease? When will the rest of the world get a soul and be fair and demand that both sides live in peace and harmony. I tell you, Jesus and God will judge each and all of us by the way we treat the least of our brothers. Stop the satanic actions world, be humane to all of our brothers, for God's sake!

Pablo Davis, San Francisco, Ca. (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 3:16 PM)

ENOUGH! Hamas has fired over 7500 rockets into Israel alone so far. Can you imagine what the USA would do if Mexico were firing rockets at Californian's, killing and maiming them? Hamas does not want peace, go on-line and read their charter. They want complete and utter distruction of Israel. Go to Palistinian media watch .com and see what they are indoctrinating their children from babies on up to kill the jews. Yes, Hamas hides behind the civilian's to gather world sympathy........wake up world...... and I'm not Jewish!!!!

Kathy Maine USA (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 3:34 PM)

When will the Isrealis start to follow the teachings of God who gave them blessings with conditions? when will the Palestinian factions carrying out terroristic practices cease? When will the rest of the world get a soul and be fair and demand that both sides live in peace and harmony. I tell you, Jesus and God will judge each and all of us by the way we treat the least of our brothers. Stop the satanic actions world, be humane to all of our brothers, for God's sake!

Pablo Davis, San Francisco, Ca. (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 3:44 PM)

Hamas caused this tragety to its people. The Palestinians had a chance to build a state and give hope to its people when Israel gave up Gaza.  Instead it chose to target innocent Israelis with rockets. Look what they've done.  What a shame!

Joe Sullivan, Detroit MI (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 3:45 PM)

Who speaks for the besieged Palestinians?  Bush supports murderous genocide upon helpless people as they are encircled to be slaughtered by the Jews.  Where can a normal US citizen speak up to ask our Federal Government to call a halt to to Jewish atrocities against the Palestinians?  The Jewish resemble the Nazi's in their current actions.  The Jews have created another holocaust of their own design.  Tell George Bush to stop supporting the Jewish government until they cease and desist Jewish slaughtering and slowing murdering the Palestinian people in front of the whole world.

Irma Barbosa, Sacramento, California (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 3:59 PM)

Israeli offensive?
"Gaza has just experienced a four-day assault launched by Israel to stop Palestinian militants firing rockets into Israeli territory."
Everywhere else in the world, this is known as defending yourself.  The Palis lob rockets with abandon and then cry like baby girls when the Israelis ultimately respond.

If they would come out from behind their women and children to fight, this would all be over in 5 minutes, and there wouldn't be these "inocent" casualties.

Doug, Jacksonville, FL (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 4:12 PM)

More then half small children and women...wow I wonder if Israel and its US supplied war-planes and apache helicopters deliberately target children in their targets. Talk about Genocide against defense-less human population.
Shame on you Israel.
Shame on you president Bush for letting Israel do this.
Only GOD will punish Israel.

Alex Pate, Houston, TX (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 4:14 PM)

I've been reading about the conflict between Israel and the Arabs all my life and I don't expect that anything will ever change during my lifetime.  It is a very bad situation where one side attacks the other and then there is an equal response from the other side. It is a sad fact but the Arabs will never accept Israel. I suggest that the world just leave them to fight their battles until there is a winner and let the rest of the world deal with the outcome.  Intervention by third parties will never solve anything and this conflict will just go on and on and on and on. No end in sight.

R Lawrence, Santa Fe, NM (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 5:57 PM)

"The latest assault on Gaza was halted amid international condemnation from the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and the European Union of what was viewed as Israel’s disproportionate use of force to avenge the death of an Israeli civilian killed last week by a rocket fired from Gaza."

This is just BS. It's not the death of ONE civilian that prompted the retaliation, but the daily rocket barrage. Name one country that will do nothing after daily threats of rockets. Even if there is no casualty, no country on earth will accept the situation. Hypocrites at the UN and the EU should understand this.

W. Doors (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 7:20 PM)

This is my third comment.  My second comment pointing out that no comments have been posted yet.

We must assume that there are still no comments acceptable to MSNBC?  Mine was critical of the Palestinians, and this propaganda piece of a news story, so I guess MSNBC's viewpoint on this is clear enough.

Doug, Jacksonville, FL (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 8:27 PM)

Well this is just a pr exercise for the terroists as usual ,israel has the right to defend itself and if they dont stop firing rockets they deserve all they get ! everybody should stop supporting these terroists who are irans proxy and palistine needs to get some brains ,who in their right mind would keep attacking with rockets when they know the consequences ?? what a bunch of idiots.

jackbequick (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 9:29 PM)

When are they going to care more about their children and less about killing? How many more rockets do they need to launch into Israel before they say enough and start to seriously rebuild a better life for their children? Can they even imagine a life without hating and killing Israelis? Will they ever get tired of being on the losing end of all this violence? How many terrorists does Israel have to kill to stop the rockets? Will there ever be an end to these terrorists. What a waste of humanity these wretched haters are. Maybe someday they will snap out of their murderous dreams and join a civilized way of life. Then life will improve for their people dont they see that?

Steve H.,North Andover,Ma. (Sent Tuesday, March 04, 2008 3:19 AM)

if hamas is not stopping the rockets to israel,then israel have to give him his reward,but sad that it hits allways the inocent poeple,who have nothing to do with that dictator hamas,but i think,soon it will hit the guilty ones and i hope i see it soon,if they do not their best they can. willie from chihuahua mex.

willie rempel (Sent Tuesday, March 04, 2008 8:48 AM)

Use the rockets they fire into Israel to stop their bleeding and feed their people in the Palistinian areas.
It is very simple, STOP SENDING ROCKETS TO ISRAEL AND ISRAEL WILL START SENDING YOU HUMANITARIAN HELP.
Also, it is odd that Israel only kills woman and children in these attacks and the Palistinians only kill WHAT, ISRAELS ("FUTURE") MILITARY???

Stan Levinson, Norfolk Virginia (Sent Tuesday, March 04, 2008 11:08 AM)

I applaud Mr. Aspell for the courage to be there on the ground in a war-torn and suffering region in order to report what he sees and hears with his own eyes.  This is the way it is supposed to be - of which we see so little of, and thus, hear so little of, the truth.  And, it is right to begin at the bedside of an innocent dyng child, whose legs were blown off - this is consequence of war - in this case war instigated by Israel.  However. Mr. Aspell and NBC hew to the pack in the reportage of dogma (what we are used to hearing and have been told over and over again) rather than questioning the assumed.
Israel is not defending itself.  Israel is the aggressor.  It has put Gaza in a military seige and has been starving Gaza since last June - 41% of food requirements allowed in - according to the U.N. office of humanitarian affairs.  What happened when the wall came down between Gaza and Egypt? Was there a conflagration?  Did they attack Israel en mass?  No. They went shopping.  Come on, NBC, go for it.  Go for the whole truth, lead the way.
-publisher, The McLoughlin Post
www.mcloughlinpost dot com

Diane V. McLoughlin (Sent Tuesday, March 04, 2008 12:54 PM)

This kind of Israeli activity will just strengthen the Palestinian resistance. Israel needs another way to look for peace, without "Israeli air power operating live battlefield surveillance from helicopters and pilot-less airplanes equipped with cameras that can see in the dark. " There is no way any sane person can interpret this as not being heavy-handed.

Joe American (Sent Tuesday, March 04, 2008 12:57 PM)

Hamas has built itself up as an organization that cares for its shiite population.In the past with the help of Iran it has supplied medicines, food and water to the poor. They set up religeous schools for the children. This is how they won their support in the elections and now in war with Israel. It's the same strategy Hizbollah uses in Lebanon. Now all they supply is a steady stream of dead and wounded. If they held another election in Gaza would the result still be the same? You can bet on it as long as Israel exists they will never stop the cycle of violence and hatred.  

Steve H.,North Andover, Ma. (Sent Tuesday, March 04, 2008 1:41 PM)



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