An aerial view of the complex housing the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City after an explosion on the hospital grounds that killed hundreds, according to Palestinian officials. Unraveling the facts behind the explosion has been made difficult because of swarms of social media accounts spreading false information about the explosion. Shadi Al-Tabatibi/AFP via Getty Images
During last week Israel was publicly accused of bombing a hospital in Gaza and killing 500 people.
Most but not all world leaders and media waited to hear the response to this accusation from Israel and the IDF.
As it turned out, Israel and the IDF claimed that the responsibility lay with Hamas or a Jihad group in Gaza.
The weapon that apparently landed in the hospital car park was a rocket fired from within Gaza and misfired.
Video images show the rocket, going upward, then blowing up and falling to the ground where the hospital is located. Other visual evidence also later proved the point.
While it is expected that Hamas will use almost any excuse to accuse Israel of atrocities, it is to be hoped that sensible leaders will not jump to conclusions and appear to believe what turn out to be false accusations.
The sophisticated technology that exists today can usually expose the truth or falsehood of military actions which target civilians as opposed to targeting terrorist installations or terrorists shielding behind civilian populations.
It is to be hoped that leaders, the media and the world at large will take a balanced approach to what is ahead in this very difficult crisis.
It is one in which Israel is having to take appropriate action to defend its population and rid the Middle East of barbaric terrorists who seem to delight in murdering Jewish women, children, and the elderly in peaceful communities.
On the part of Israel, this is not about taking revenge on a civilian population.
However we do know from past wars that very sadly civil populations sometimes do suffer even when everything is done to avoid civilian casualties and warn people to evacuate certain areas.
On the other hand, terrorist groups like Hamas and Jihad appear to have no qualms about putting civilians in harm’s way and will use them as human shields for their own protection.
Israel should not be expected to withstand the massacre of its civilian population by barbaric terrorists and the continuous deadly bombardment on its cities and communities by rockets fired from Gaza or anywhere else without a military response to defend and protect its people.
AM YISRAEL CHAI
Helen Shardey OAM
ARZA Australia President
UPJ Vice President
WUPJ Executive Board