Health emergency in Gaza

News from the health front in Gaza:

We received yet another press statement by Dr. Yousef Mousa, the director of the Union of Health Work Committees in Gaza. "The Gaza Strip, especially with its Jabalia refugee camp, remains the preferred target for the Israeli Government", he writes. "It’s as if Israel wants to kill its entire crowded neighborhood."
Dr. Mousa has become cynical of the international community's reponse to the Israeli agression: "Today, the Bush Government’s White House Spokesman declared that Israel has the right to defend her people!!! The media portrayed this statement many times, to the extent that some audience members could fall under the illusion that Palestinian warplane and tanks are shelling rockets and bombs to demolish Israeli cities." And he concludes: "The entire world is witnessing these scandalous and outrageous acts, and yet no concrete step has been taken!!!"

Dr. Lieve Seuntjens, of Medicine for the People (Geneeskunde voor het Volk / Médecine pour le Peuple), who worked in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon in the mid-80s, sent us news about Norwegian surgeons actually working in the Shifa Hospital in Gaza. Mads Gilbert and Erik Fosse managed to slip in the Gaza Strip on New Year's Eve and are now at work there -- and testifying as well - see the video. They are with NORWAC, the Norwegian Aid Committee, with which Medical Aid for the Third World collaborated in the 80s in Lebanon. More specialist surgeons appear to be needed, and with Medical Aid for the Third World, we'll see what we can do. So if you know any volunteers...!?