The 27-member European Union has condemned the Hamas terrorist organization for using Gaza’s hospital and its medical personnel as human shields to protect its own military activities against Israel.
The EU also called for “immediate pauses in the hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors … so that humanitarian aid can safely reach the population of Gaza,” somehow either missing the fact that Israeli forces have done both almost daily for more than a week already.
The IDF re-opened its humanitarian corridors on November 5, more than a week ago, and urged Gazans to move south for their own safety, as seen in this video announcement by the head of COGAT’s Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) to Gaza, Col. Moshe Tetro.
There have been numerous video clips of the Gazans taking advantage of the IDF protection and moving south along the humanitarian corridor set up by Israel. Here’s one filmed by the IDF.
The problem is not the lack of humanitarian corridors, nor the lack of humanitarian aid, for that matter. Nor does it have anything to do with “pauses” — it has to do with Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorists denying their civilians the basics they need to survive.
Hamas Operatives Beat Civilians Off Humanitarian Aid Trucks and Steal their Food
Hamas is doing everything in its power to keep its human shields front and center, where they can be used to maximum advantage both in attempts to prevent Israel from attacking and eliminating the terrorists, and in photo ops for foreign journalists and news outlets when they invariably get caught in the crossfire and are injured or killed. Hamas also has no problem beating its civilians and stealing the humanitarian aid, including food, intended to keep them alive.
To its credit, the European Union re-emphasized “Israel’s right to defend itself in line with international law and international humanitarian law,” and demanded that Hamas release the nearly 240 hostages its operatives abducted from southern Israel on October 7.
“The EU reiterates its call on Hamas for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. It is crucial that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is granted access to the hostages,” the EU said.
“The EU condemns the use of hospitals and civilians as human shields by Hamas. Civilians must be allowed to leave the combat zone.
“These hostilities are severely impacting hospitals and taking a horrific toll on civilians and medical staff. The EU emphasizes that international humanitarian law stipulates that hospitals, medical supplies and civilians inside hospitals must be protected.
Israeli forces have bent over backwards to avoid harming civilians in Gaza, be they in hospitals or anywhere else. To that end, the IDF has established multiple humanitarian corridors to facilitate the evacuation of Gazans to the south from the combat zone in the north. Israeli soldiers have personally secured those routes because Hamas terrorists prevented prior evacuations, even shooting their own civilians to prevent the loss of their human shields.
“Hospitals must also be supplied immediately with the most urgent medical supplies and patients that require urgent medical care need to be evacuated safely. In this context, we urge Israel to exercise maximum restraint to ensure the protection of civilians,” the EU added.
Hamas Blocks, Then Seizes Fuel Delivery to Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital
This past weekend, the IDF coordinated the transfer of 300 liters of badly-needed fuel for urgent medical use at Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital — but Hamas blocked the transfer and instead stole the precious resource for its own military use.
On Monday, IDF soldiers were forced to battle Hamas terrorists at close range because they embedded themselves — and their weapons — among civilians who were trying to leave the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City.
IDF’s ’21-Gun Salute’ Erases Hamas Terrorists at Al-Quds Hospital
During the incident, Hamas terrorists attacked soldiers from Israel’s 188th Brigade, launching rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and other small-arms fire at the Israeli soldiers from within a group of civilians at the hospital entrance.
The IDF returned fire, and some 21 terrorists were killed during the shootout.
