There are times when I am shocked by the lack of knowledge and understanding exhibited by people whom I thought knew better. The lead reporters on CNN are among them. CNN has been trotting out UNRWA representatives to tell their viewers how Gaza in “uninhabitable”, and on the verge of health and food crises and disease outbreaks. The extreme rhetoric is simply not true. More emergency aid is going into Gaza than before, and less is reaching the people most in need. The problem is with distribution once it crosses the border from Egypt. Who is responsible for distribution at that point? Hamas! Who’s helping them? Again, UNRWA! Much of this is well documented by video cameras, especially from the Egyptian side. One Gaza prisoner remarked during Israeli interrogation: “UNRWA is HAMAS!”.
I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. More people get their MISINFORMATION from CNN than from any other source.
Here are a few specific refutation points. There have been no major outbreaks of disease in any temporary refugee camps in southern Gaza. Some Gazan hospitals are overcrowded and understaffed, but they were that way before Oct 7th because Hamas recruited the medical personnel into their service, took medical supplies for the use of Hamas, and built munitions storage and other facilities, including rocket launch sites, either under or alongside those hospitals.
I find it hard to take any claims from UN agencies seriously with regard to the Middle East. Hamas has been governing Gaza in the same irresponsible manner since 2007. Hamas has launched thousands of rockets at Israeli civilian targets during that time. Has the UN ever condemned them? During the current war there have been several attempts to get a cease fire, including personal appeals by the UN Secretary General. None of them condemn Hamas for initiating this war. None of them condemn Hamas for taking civilian hostages. No UN member has spoken out about taking Hamas to the ICC for committing war crimes (not even the US!).
Lots of countries are ready to condemn Israel for actions in Gaza, but so far, there’s plenty of advice about how things should be done, but absolutely no willingness to assist in bearing the expense or responsibility for what will probably be a multi-year process of re-education for Gaza residents.
We’ve had a poster on one of our inside walls that says “Children learn what they live”. Our children were not taught to hate anyone. How long will it take to teach Palestinians not to hate?
Wetherhorn 