Posted on 06/20/2024 8:20:37 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie
It began without warning. “Planes were bombing. Tanks were firing. Quadcopter drones were shooting. People were running and screaming. It felt like Judgment Day, as if we were living our last moments.”
This was the scene at around 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 8 in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp. Aerial bombardment, as described by a journalist in the camp who preferred to remain anonymous, was accompanied by the entry of dozens of Israeli military and police special forces personnel who emerged from aid trucks. “We couldn’t understand what was happening,” the journalist added.
As later became clear, a major Israeli military operation was underway to retrieve four hostages whom Hamas had kidnapped from the Nova music festival almost exactly eight months prior. In doing so, Israeli forces unleashed devastation on Nuseirat camp, killing at least 276 Palestinians and wounding approximately 700 more.
“The intensity of the bombing felt like an earthquake,” Enas Al-Louh, a 45-year-old from Gaza City who had sought refuge in the camp, recounted. “I thought my life would end right there. I was screaming at my children not to leave my side so that we could die together. For more than an hour, we lived through the horror of nonstop bombing and shelling.”
For Amjad Al-Majdalawi, a 40-year-old who had been staying in Nuseirat camp with his family since the start of the war, the sound of explosions and people screaming in the market jolted him into a state of panic. “My mind stopped, and I ran to check on my family,” he told +972. “While running, I saw the martyrs and the wounded lying on the ground, and the survivors begging for help.
“I arrived home to find my children and my family screaming in fear,” he continued. “We tried to find some relief from the shock of the event, but it continued to become more and more violent. The occupation deceived the camp through the state of calm in which we lived for several days [prior to the operation], without hearing the sound of reconnaissance planes. Then came the attack, with such brutality. Everyone in the camp lost someone from their family.”
‘We are cheap blood in this hypocritical world’
As hundreds of wounded Palestinians began arriving at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in nearby Deir al-Balah, the Israeli army called the hospital staff and ordered them to evacuate, threatening to bomb the hospital. Staff passed on the warning to those it could, but most were too desperate to pay heed. The attack didn’t materialize, and it appears that the threat was intended to sow further chaos and confusion as Israel’s operation unfolded.
“All the photographers and journalists chose to stay,” the journalist recounted. “By covering the events inside the hospital — which continued to receive countless numbers of injured patients — we fulfilled our work. We didn’t care about the evacuation order, because what we experienced was more terrible than any other thought or feeling. The crying of mothers and children was so intense.”
Khalil Al-Dakran, the hospital’s spokesperson, told +972 that most of the wounded who arrived that day were women and children. But due to the Israeli army’s continuous attacks on central Gaza in the previous weeks, he explained, the hospital was unable to receive such large numbers.
“We treated the injured on the floor of the corridors and outside in the tents, because there were no empty beds to receive the wounded,” Al-Dakran continued. “They arrived in ambulances, civilian cars, and animal-drawn vehicles.” The situation was so dire that the hospital was forced to send patients to Al-Awda Maternity Hospital, which was closer to the massacre in Nuseirat, despite it being ill-equipped to accommodate patients with severe injuries.
Al-Aqsa’s dwindling resources further limited the hospital’s ability to admit the influx of patients. “Some medical delegations come to Gaza with supplies that can help our patients, but the Israeli army confiscates these and prevents them from entering Gaza,” Al-Dakran explained. “It inhibits the entry of fuel and medical equipment into hospitals and keeps the wounded from seeking life-saving treatment abroad.”
The Nuseirat operation marked only the third time since October 7 that Israeli forces have freed hostages alive. The second, on Feb. 12, also came at a high cost to Palestinian lives, killing at least 74 in Rafah’s Shaboura refugee camp in order to create a “diversion.”
Al-Louh is still struggling to make sense of what he witnessed. “How is it reasonable to kill over 200 people for the sake of four? We are cheap blood in this hypocritical world that does not know the meaning of humanity, does not speak about the hundreds of martyrs and wounded, and does not express its anger at this massacre.”
1) ham ass broke the ceasefire of October 6th. All this war and death is their fault.
2) Taking hostages is a war crime.
3) Hiding hostages among civilians is a war crime.
4) When Israel frees it hostages from the war criminals who started the war, all the death is ham ass's fault.
A “journalist” was found to be hiding a hostage.
Two Hundred, Four Hundred, a Thousand. I do not care. Quit killing, rocketing, raping, torturing Jews, lay your weapons down and give the hostages back and your pain will stop.
Rarely do I quote Nancy Pelosi but the following fits, “Enjoy the Suck!” I does suck to die especially when it is ones fault by his own actions.
The citizen of Gaza could easily stop the Israeli offensive instantly. And I’ll reveal the secret to doing that here.
Immediately kill all Hamas members and supporters and throw them in piles, and the Jews will stop the attack.
Only 200 for four? 2,000 might still be too low.
The whole point is to make a future attack unthinkable.
How much surplus gazan cannon fodder is the serpent hamasssssss willing to lose after kidnapping killing and raping a few Israelis?
Israel and pretty much the rest of the civilized world is willing to be rid of every. single. gazanian.
Dear rawweedee:
1. 🖕
2. 10/7/2023.
6. The result of war is killing people and breaking things.
7. A "war" doesn't belong to a specific country, nor does a non-participant run one.
This reminds me of the bathtub of tears cried in an op-ed in The Daily Beast over that mean judge Aileen Cannon and her evil questions for Jack Smith. “Trump’s favorite judge”, they whined. “Lawless favoritism”, they caterwauled, “Unfair”, they howled.
That is so much like these savage-minded people, educating their children to be savage-minded, wondering why their blood is so cheap, why 4 Israelis are worth more than 200 savages.
Boo freakin hoo.
If You Don’t Want To Be Killed, Don’t Take Hostages
Critics of Israel now ask the usual dishonest question: Are four lives worth the alleged 200-plus Arabs who were lost rescuing them?
Israel is the only nation on earth that is tasked with protecting its own people and its enemies. Every innocent lost life is, of course, a tragedy. But if you don’t want to be placed in harm’s way, don’t hold hostages in your homes and neighborhoods, and don’t cheer and support a government that puts your life in constant danger for a lost cause. This is the reality of the world.
More....
The Palestinians set the exchange rate for Israelis a while back when they demanded 30-40 Palestinians terrorists for each Israeli hostage.
Too late in the game to change the rules
They could release all the hostages and be done with this. But they’re evil, and do not want any peace.
” If You Don’t Want To Be Killed, Don’t Take Hostages “
Sound advice, which a terrorist supporting civilian population will sadly ignore.
It should be 2000+!
5) The locals in Gaza owe to their own safety and decency to put whatever pressure they can on Hamas to release the hostages.
Excellent point.
All recent polling show vast (70%+) support for ham ass and this war.
Let ‘em have it.
“Killing over 200 (Hamas thugs) for the sake of four.”
I don’t have a problem with that.
It was far less than what was needed.
Based upon the HAMAS claim of 40,000 fighters, it would be necessary for the IDF to kill approximately 400,000 Palestinians to bring an end to the war.
That would be almost all of the HAMAS fighters plus most of the "innocent civilians" who provide them with essential logistical support.
That is the brutal arithmetic of total war. It has been done before and it will be done again - either by the Israelis or to the Israelis.
How is it reasonable to not expect them to come for their people?
How delusional do you have to be?
Any normal person knows that if you are holding a hostage the other side will becoming and will cut a bloody swath through you until they get them out.
That is why normal people do not consider taking hostages. It does not end well.
Well, the four were innocent and the same cannot be said for the 200.
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