Loading ...JEFF CHILDERS ON HOSPITALGATE
The “big news” yesterday was a hospital in in the middle of northern Gaza’s air raid zone blew up and a lot of people were killed and wounded. The Israelis had warned the hospital many times to evacuate, but it did not, not even after bombs fell all around it during previous air strikes, just as the Israelis had warned, nor did it evacuate its patients and staff even after the water and power was cut off.
It was just the opposite of evacuated. The hospital was packed with hundreds or even thousands of civilian noncombatants who were there, not for treatment, but for “shelter,” presumably trusting the Israelis not to bomb the hospital even after repeatedly warning the hospital could get bombed.
While the rubble was still burning, Hamas filmed horrifying shock videos of mangled bodies and scorched toys, and outraged pandemonium instantly ensued worldwide as people reacted angrily against Israel (for doing exactly what it said it would) with white-hot hot takes and violently jerking knees.
But then a twist appeared when, a few hours later, Israel published data and videos appearing to contradict the battle-hardened narrative.
Israel made the mistake of using logic instead of emotion. It claimed that, number one, it did not conduct any air strikes in that area of Gaza yesterday. Two, it reported Hamas launched 1,500 rockets toward Israel right down the block from the hospital, a few seconds before the explosion. Third, the IDF said 40% of Hamas rockets normally malfunction and often hit friendlies by accident. Fourth, at least three local videos, two released by Hamas, appear to show the Hamas rocket launch with one fireball returning to earth along with an explosion. Fifth, Israel claimed the Hamas rocket actually fell into the hospital parking lot, and video evidence appeared to support that claim.
Then later, while hardliners nitpicked the first five pieces of evidence, Israel released an audio intercept between two Hamas operatives who appeared to confirm the explosion was caused by a Hamas rocket. One can be heard explaining, “It seems that they fired this from the cemetery behind the hospital, then the way that it failed and it landed on the hospital.”
It is weird how the IDF intercepted this particular discussion but somehow missed all the discussions that might’ve warned them of the original Hamas attack, but I digress.
The developing story and Israel’s persuasive videos, argument, and audio caused newspaper editors’ heads to spin faster than John Fetterman hanging for dear life onto a whirling childrens’ merry-go-round. Here’s one great example: What would we do without the New York Times and its stealth editors? Behold, three papers in one day!
For what it’s worth, during his short visit yesterday, Joe Biden carefully* reviewed the evidence about the explosion and is siding with Israel. But of course, Biden mangled it, unaccountably referring to Hamas as “the other team,” as though the deadly conflict is some kind of sporting event:
(* results may vary)
Probably Biden just forgot Hamas’ name, and “the other team” remark was a sundowner technique to cover for the embarrassing gaffe.
Can you imagine poor Netanyahu having to smile through an entire meeting with Biden talking that slow? According to reports, the men met for “longer than expected,” which was just over an hour. I think we can agree the meeting was extended because Biden talked so slow and Bibi had to keep asking Joe’s handlers to explain what he just said.
To be clear: I take no position on who’s to blame for the hospital, because how could I? I don’t have access to the evidence. Neither does anybody else, and so nobody should be reacting emotionally (except perhaps over for the general tragedy of war). But at this point, Israel has presented a credible defense, and the burden of proof has shifted back to the Palestinians to prove that the explosion was not caused by one of their own rockets. They also need to explain why the hospital wasn’t reduced to a skeleton staff after the original Israeli evacuation warnings.
It’ll be a long, emotionally-exhausting war if everyone scrutinizes and argues over every single rocket strike and civilian casualty like this.