Casualies in Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon

BarZilai Medical Center 2023 (Nadene Goldfoot)

Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon Underground

Lea Malul at Barzilai on Sunday, December 28th reported to Tamar Boussi, president of Portland Ashkelon Sister City Association, and she explained their situation--they have had around 10-12 casualities nearly everyday and are swamped. The article below explains some of their preparation.

Fear of Rockets Sends Israeli Hospital Underground by Aron Heller

Wary of a missile strike from nearby Gaza, Ashkelon's Barzilai Hospital has moved its most essential departments into an underground bomb shelter. In February a rocket from Gaza landed adjacent to the hospital's helicopter pad and in May a rocket crashed into a busy shopping mall in the city, injuring 14 people. On Saturday, Barzilai relocated the most vulnerable departments and placed its least mobile patients - such as those in the geriatric, infant and maternity wards - underground. On Sunday, two rockets fell in Ashkelon itself and another 22 in the surrounding district, as warning sirens sent doctors, patients and guests rushing for cover several times. In Barzilai's underground children's ward, sick Gazans lay alongside sick Israelis. Dr. Ron Lobel, the hospital's deputy director, said that his facility had close ties with Gaza's Shifa hospital, and accepted many of its patients who need treatment the Gazan hospital cannot provide. (AP)

Reference: from Tamar Boussi, Portland, OR

Ashkelon Devastation From Rocket Attacks

On May 10th, Jimmy Kedoshim, 48, was killed in Kfar Aza when a mortar landed in his front lawn when he was gardening.

Then on May 12th a 70 year old woman was killed by a Qassam rocket by Hamas. It hit the house of a family member at Moshav Yesha, 9.3 miles east of Gaza. It was the 2nd civilian death by rockets since Saturday, May 10th.
The attack was from Hamas and their affiliated Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization backed by Iran.

On this same day, two rockets landed in Ashkelon. Again yesterday, a rocket hit the mall and injured 14 people.

In the photo we see the doctors at Barzelai Hospital in Ashkelon treating Osher Twito from a Qassam rocket attack. His left leg had to be amputated later.

There have been more than 1,950 rockets and mortar shelled fired from Gaza at Israeli civilians. During the last four years, 15 people have been killed by rockets and mortars and more than 450 have been injured. Besides physical injury, thousands of people suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) within range of the rockets. This has been keeping Barzelai Hospital in Ashkelon very busy.

Reference: The Israel Project

Ashkelon, Our Sister City, Hit by Rockets, MALL HIT

Ashkelon's mall was just hit with 14-15 injured who were taken to Barzelai Hospital. This happened while Bush is in Israel for its 60th birthday. Both Bush and Condoleeza Rice were having meetings in Jerusalem when it happened. Rice was invited to Ashkelon to see the damage, but I don't think she'll take the offer. There had been so many false alarms of incoming rockets that the city of 100,000, which is only 9 miles from the Gaza border, had turned the alarm off. The people had no warning.

I've a feeling that this will cause the IDF to move now. This was uncalled for and intolerable, as all the rocket attacks have been. Below is the address of the doctor at Barzelai Hospital speaking about the patients in an interview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56rgfAajU8I

Ashkelon, Our Sister City's Barzalai Hospital

"Ashkelon’s Barzilai Medical Center even tends to those wounded in inter-factional fighting in the Gaza Strip. “Everyone receives the same treatment in the same wards, regardless of ethnic origin or nationality,” said Dr. Ron Lobel, the hospital's medical director. “We deliver the service equally, whether [patients] come from Gaza or … Sderot.“ "

I am so proud of Israel. When we have the enemy come to us when injured, we take them into our hospitals. All life is important. That's why it hurts us when innocent civilians are used as shields in attacks. It's not our goal in life to take theirs.

Someday the Palestinian people will recognize that we are neighbors to have and not to have not.

Resource: The Israel Project