International activists remain in Gaza hospital threatened by Israeli missiles

El-Wafa Hospital in Gaza City following an Israeli airstrike. Damage can be seen to the top floor of the building in the center. Photo by Manu Pineda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE International activists remain in Gaza hospital threatened by Israeli missiles 11 July 2014 Israel’s army fired five ‘warning’ missiles at El-Wafa geriatric hospital in Gaza City, Gaza. International volunteers now staying in the hospital in solidarity, have said they, "can hear missiles falling close by". "The civilian population of Gaza is being bombed. We will stay with them in solidarity until the international community and our governments take action to stop Israel's crimes against humanity." States Swedish International Solidarity Movement (ISM) activist, Fred Ekblad. The volunteers are citizens of USA, Spain, Sweden, Venezuela, France, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The first barrage of missiles hit the fourth floor of the hospital at2:00AM. At approximately 19:00 a fifth missile hit the hospital. “Windows and doors were blown out, broken glass everywhere, damage to the stairs, there’s a big hole at the impact area and the wall is burnt,“ reports Joe Catron, ISM activist, from the U.S. At around 20:00 Basman Alashi, executive director of the hospital, received an unidentified call from a person with a, “heavy Israeli accent”, asking if there were any injuries, whether there was any one in the top floor, and whether they were planning to evacuate the hospital. Alashi says the hospital will not be evacuated because there is nowhere to evacuate the patients too. “El-Wafa hospital serves the patients that need medical attention 24 hours a day. Including patients that can’t move, or people who need to be fed by tube. This hospital is the only one in Gaza specializing in the rehabilitation of people who need physical and occupational therapy. All our patients are over 60 years old, men and women. We don’t understand why the Israeli forces have fired five rockets at the hospital in the last 24 hours so far. We serve humanity.” For more information contact: • Ally Cohen, ISM Media Office (English) - +972597406401 • Basman Alashi- executive director of El-Wafa hospital (English, Arabic) - +972592224699 Internationals in the hospital: • Joseph Catron, ISM, USA (English) - +972592224699 • Manu Pineda, Spain (Spanish) - +972595594326 • Huda Julie Webb-Pullman, Australia and New Zealand (English) - +972595251720 • Fred Ekblad, ISM, Sweden (Swedish/English) - +972595209679 • Charlie, ISM, Sweden (Swedish/English) - +972598345327 • Valeria Cortes, Venezuela (Spanish) - +972595827070 • Rina Andolini, UK (English) - +972595176849 • Collete Lechrien, France (French) - +972599759394