Readers respond to articles about health care in Gaza

My heartfelt thanks for breaking the medical media’s silence on the destructive attacks on the people of Gaza by the Israeli state. 1^,2 I was a member of a Jewish medical delegation to the West Bank and Gaza this past October. We were turned away from crossing into Gaza just 6 days before Israel violated the ceasefire on Nov. 4, 2008. In the West Bank, we observed first-hand the severe impact on children and families of the ongoing occupation.

Many Jewish Canadians are appalled by Israel’s actions against all Palestinians. We do not dismiss the actions of Hamas and other factions, either. However, one must carefully read the history of the region, beginning in 1947–1948 or even earlier, if one is to understand the context for all of these actions. Physicians for Human Rights Israel, along with other medical and human rights organizations, has issued a strong appeal for the government of Israel, as an occupying power that bears overall responsibility for the protection of the right to health of Palestinians, to fulfill its responsibilities under international law.