Dr Marwan al-Sultan, a senior cardiologist and the director of the Indonesian hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, his wife and several family members were killed on 2 July in a direct Israeli airstrike on their apartment building (Report, 4 July). Dr Sultan is the 70th healthcare worker killed in the past two months, and among more than 1,400 medical personnel killed thus far during the war.
The Indonesian hospital has been under a prolonged siege by the Israel Defense Forces for many weeks, has been attacked from the air multiple times and was shut down in May. Following its closure, the UN announced there were no more functioning hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip.
As medical personnel working in Israel, we are outraged at the systemic and intentional destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza by Israel. During the past two years we have written petitions, letters and newspaper articles to voice our protest and condemn Israel’s unlawful acts during the war, especially those directed against medical facilities and personnel. Lately, with Israel’s increased aggressions in Gaza, we have witnessed widespread recognition of these actions by our colleagues in Israel. It should be noted that leaders of the medical community in Israel have failed to condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza, despite attempts to convince them otherwise.
Following the shocking death of Dr Sultan and his family, 600 Israeli medical personnel have signed a letter of outcry and concern, in solidarity with our tortured and overburdened colleagues in Gaza. We would like them and the rest of the world to know that we are not our government, nor do we condone any of its actions. Hopefully, we can continue to strive for peace and to save all human lives together.
Dr Michal Feldon Paediatrician, Tel Aviv, Israel
Dr Tslil Regev Paska Paediatrician, Haifa, Israel
• Karishma Patel’s article (Caution has turned to cowardice – the BBC is failing viewers with its Gaza coverage, 2 July) lays bare a truth that many have sensed for some time – the BBC is no longer acting as a public broadcaster when it comes to Gaza. Shelving Gaza: Doctors Under Attack on grounds of perceived partiality is not editorial caution, it is complicity. Who made this decision? They should be named. We do not restore integrity by holding vague entities responsible.
More than 100 BBC journalists have now said what many suspected, that editorial policy around Gaza is shaped by fear of lobbying groups, complaints and political retaliation. That fear has led to omission, imbalance and a distortion of reality. This isn’t just about one film. It’s about the public being denied the truth. The BBC must answer for that by explaining who made these decisions.
Oisin Large
Berlin, Germany
• Karishma Patel is right to criticise the BBC over its failure to report the continuing genocide in Gaza. But the national broadcaster is also failing at a local level. For at least 18 months there have been demonstrations in Leeds, supporting the people of Palestine. Rarely has this been reported on local BBC television news. Successive polls show that people in Britain support a suspension of arms sales to Israel. But public opinion is not being reflected by the BBC’s coverage.
Christopher Foren
Leeds
