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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Letters: Where are the voices of outrage at what's happening in Gaza?
The massacre of the people of Gaza continues unabated. After blocking food and aid into Gaza for three months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally allowed in a limited amount of food. However, the plan and means of distribution have proved deadly. I read about people being shot by the Israeli military as they arrive at the food distribution sites set up to deliver food aid. The United States supports Israel's plan for food distribution, which requires many of the starving people to walk miles to one of only four distribution sites in Gaza. The cruelty is unimaginable. Where are the voices of outrage at this inhumanity? I would like to hear our U.S. senators, Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, our U.S. representatives and our religious leaders — Christian, Jewish and Muslim — speak out against killing and starving the people of Gaza and demand an immediate ceasefire, provision of food in a safe manner and negotiation of a peace agreement to end the killing and prompt the release of the people held hostage. Netanyahu's plan in Gaza is obviously not working. Who will speak out?I cannot entirely agree with Ald. Brendan Reilly on his op-ed 'You can't separate anti-Zionism from antisemitism. Stop pretending you can' (June 12). While the call 'Free Palestine' is divisive and demonstrators should understand it is counterproductive, the bigger issue is what is happening in Gaza and the indiscriminate violence that results. The burning of Jewish demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado; the killing of Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgram in Washington, and the murder of 6-year-old Palestinian boy Wadea Al-Fayoume in Plainfield Township are equally tragic and pointless. All were committed in the aftermath of the horrific kidnappings by Hamas and Israel's brutal response. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, fending off a trial on corruption charges and an election he may lose, has prioritized his own political goals over the release of the hostages and an end to the carnage. Doctors in Gaza perform surgery without anesthesia on children screaming in pain; unarmed civilians are getting shot merely trying to get food; and an entire displaced population is starving without the most basic necessities in a land of rubble. Israel's former prime minister, Ehud Olmert, accuses Netanyahu of actions that not only amount to war crimes but that also do not serve Israel's interests. Gaza is 'worse than hell on earth,' according to Mirjana Spoljaric, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Spoljaric said that 'humanity is failing' as we watch these horrors. Yet the U.S. is blindly aiding and abetting these actions. Much of the population of Gaza was not old enough to vote or was even born when Hamas was voted into power. They should not bear the brunt of this hell. To calm the anguish that precipitates the kind of violence Reilly condemns, we should all urge our government to pressure Israel to stop this slaughter, return to the negotiating table and get the remaining hostages back.I was very disturbed to read the headline and subheadline on the front page of the Sunday paper concerning the Hope Clinic, 'New clinic in Chicago offers late abortions: Hope provides service to women up to about 34 weeks of pregnancy.' That text leads one to believe a woman can just walk into the clinic at any point of her pregnancy up to 34 weeks and get an abortion, which is patently false. It's not until the fourth paragraph (and a turn to Page 6) that the story reveals that abortions, in compliance with Illinois law, are only available to the point of viability (starting about 24 weeks), after which they are available only . It's not until a second jump to the next page that the story mentions that cases beyond the second trimester are incredibly rare, with only 1% of abortions performed after 21 weeks. Most of those are due to dire medical situations. In this era of short attention spans, headlines like this one are completely irresponsible. I understand that reporters don't write their own headlines, typically. However, it is an instantly shocking and provocative headline. Now, the Tribune has quite possibly put the clinic in the crosshairs of more anti-abortion rights organizations and possibly put at risk one of the few places where women can get desperately needed reproductive health care. In the future, I hope the Tribune will put more effort into its headlines to ensure its readers quickly grasp essential main points of an article, particularly when women's health care is at stake.I do not consider 'Hope' to be the best name for the new Uptown abortion provider. My observation tells me it is hope for the human being in the womb. It is also a false hope for the mother. I am also disappointed that the front page would carry such appalling news. I suppose for those who agree with abortion access, it is welcome news. Yet, that is short-sighted. There are life-affirming options before a woman conceives. There are agencies that teach those options. Even in the case of rape, brave women have given birth to a child whose fault the conception was not. I fight each day to help men respect women and the reproductive process. I fight each day to master my own base instincts, and I try to teach other males to do the same. Will I condemn women who use that clinic's services? No, I won't. I pray for the woman and the child. I monetarily support alternative help for women and those children. I help healing and forgiveness programs for women who have had abortions. I will try with all my might and ask heaven's might to make a world where abortion disappears.I'm a medical student in my final year of training, and for countless Saturdays over the past three years, I have volunteered at — and eventually led — a student-run free clinic in one of the most culturally rich corners of Chicago. I'm writing this from our clinic's work room while bantering with our Nepali clinic manager, who lived in Syracuse for a few years and is hinting that I should apply there for residency, and it has hit me just how special our setup here in the Rogers Park neighborhood really is. Looking around the clinic, it feels like I've stepped onto a spinning globe. Our physician, a Syrian and a decadelong volunteer, chats easily with a patient in Arabic. When our phlebotomist with the Portuguese last name passes by, he pauses to ask how her grandchildren are. When our clinic manager realizes he forgot to bring a patient their medication, he presses a tired hand to his forehead and hurries off, bag in hand. I glance at our pharmacist, a tall Black woman who always catches any student who forgets to order medications, and we laugh and laugh. At the front desk, our interpreters for Hindi, Gujarati and Urdu greet me as I hurry past. Our student volunteers are a linguistic rainbow: Korean, Malayalam and Polish. Then there's me: Chinese and serving as our clinic's go-to Spanish interpreter. And we all eat the same clinic-provided American pizza for lunch. Our patients speak all these languages and occasionally surprise us with more, such as French or Bangla. Every Saturday, students lead appointments and create care plans, working with physicians to teach patients what all their pill bottles mean and how to take care of themselves. Most of our patients are uninsured or underinsured. For many, it's their first time learning the difference between hemoglobin A1C and just hemoglobin. Similarly, for our students, it may be their first — and maybe only — time ever treating patients from such diverse backgrounds. Just as our patients learn to build new habits, our students are building the ability to care across cultures, languages and lived experiences. It's not perfect. Sometimes, we scramble to find interpreters, and sometimes, the waiting room fills, then keeps filling. But every week, the world comes together, and our future doctors learn how to care for anyone, anywhere. In a moment when difference is treated as a threat, this clinic reminds me that it's actually exactly what makes us better.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Red Cross says fifth ICRC colleague killed in Gaza
GENEVA: The International Committee of the Red Cross announced Tuesday that one of its workers had been killed in the Gaza Strip -- the fifth since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. 'Mahmoud Barakeh, who worked supporting logistics at the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah, was killed on Sunday,' the ICRC said in a statement, adding that he was killed on his way home. 'Mahmoud leaves behind his wife, three sons, and two daughters. His killing is a profound personal loss and a painful moment for our teams. In offering condolences to his family, friends and colleagues, the ICRC added: 'This heartbreaking loss is yet another stark reminder of the immense challenges our colleagues, and the people of Gaza, face each day.' The 60-bed Red Cross Field Hospital opened in May 2024 to provide medical services to civilians affected by the conflict. The ICRC has previously stressed that international humanitarian law affords special protection to humanitarian relief and medical personnel, medical facilities, and objects used for humanitarian relief operations.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
US strikes on Iran risk ‘war with irreversible consequences': Red Cross chief
ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric called for civilians and medical personnel to be spared after the US military hit three Iranian nuclear sites. PHOTO: ICRC US strikes on Iran risk 'war with irreversible consequences': Red Cross chief Follow our live coverage here. GENEVA - The military escalation in the Middle East risks sparking warfare with irreversible consequences, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said on June 22 , following US strikes on Iran. ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric called for civilians and medical personnel to be spared after the US military hit three Iranian nuclear sites, joining its ally Israel's bombing campaign. 'The intensification and spread of major military operations in the Middle East risk engulfing the region – and the world – in a war with irreversible consequences,' Ms Spoljaric said in a statement. 'The world cannot absorb limitless war. Upholding international humanitarian law is not a choice – it is an obligation. Civilians must be spared from the conduct of hostilities.' She said medical personnel and first responders must be allowed to carry out their life-saving work safely, including colleagues at the Iranian Red Crescent Society and at Israel's Magen David Adom. Ms Spoljaric said the ICRC had delegations in both Iran and Israel and was mobilising teams and supplies to scale up to increasing needs. However, 'no humanitarian response can substitute for political will to prioritise peace, stability and human life', she said. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Al-Ahram Weekly
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
🔴LIVE UPDATES: Arab capitals express great concern for regional stability after US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities - Region
President Donald Trump said that the US military had carried out strikes Sunday on three Iranian nuclear sites and that Tehran "must now agree to end this war", following days of speculation over whether the United States would join its ally Israel's bombing campaign. 11:40 The military escalation in the Middle East risks sparking warfare with irreversible consequences, the head of the ICRC said on Sunday, following US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. "The intensification and spread of major military operations in the Middle East risk engulfing the region -- and the world -- in a war with irreversible consequences," Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said in a statement. 11:30 Bahrain, host of a major US naval base told most of its government employees to work from home until further notice after American air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. "A remote working system will be activated across ministries and government agencies, with a 70 percent work-from-home capacity," the official Bahrain News Agency said, citing "regional circumstances and current developments". 11:20 Saudi Arabia has expressed 'great concern' after US air strikes on nuclear facilities in its neighbour Iran. In a statement, the Kingdom reaffirmed its earlier declaration dated 13 June 2025, in which it condemned and strongly rejected the violation of Iran's sovereignty. Riyadh emphasized the urgent need for all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid escalation, and prioritize de-escalation efforts. The Kingdom also called on the international community to intensify its efforts amid these highly sensitive circumstances to reach a political solution that would end the crisis and open the door to a new chapter of security and stability in the region. Meanwhile, Oman said the US targeting of Iran threatened to 'widen the war', and is a violation of international law, according to state media. Oman had been mediating nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. Qatar said it 'deplores deterioration' and 'dangerous tensions' after the US bombing would lead to 'catastrophic repercussions' on regional and international levels, its foreign ministry posted on X. Iraq warned that the US attacks on its neighbour Iran's nuclear facilities threaten peace and stability in the Middle East. Iraq "expresses its deep concern and strong condemnation of the targeting of nuclear facilities" in Iran, government spokesperson Basim Alawadi said. "This military escalation constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability," he added. 11:10 UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the US has taken action to "alleviate" the "grave threat" of Iran's nuclear program. 'Iran's nuclear program is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat', Starmer said in a statement. 'The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.', he added. Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers are set to meet on Monday to discuss the US strikes on Iran. The EU's foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas posted on X that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear bomb, and urged calm. Kallas, said: 'Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as it would be a threat to international security. 'I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation. 'EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation tomorrow.' Protesters in support of Iran and Palestinians in Gaza hold flags and placards during a demonstration against the actions of Israel and the United States in Sydney on June 22, 2025. (AFP) 10:30 Palestinian group Hamas condemned "blatant US aggression" against Iran. "The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) condemns in the strongest terms the blatant US aggression against the territory and sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the group said in a statement. "This brutal aggression is a dangerous escalation," the Hamas statement added, calling the attack "a flagrant violation of international law, and a direct threat to international peace and security". 10:25 Shortly after the US struck three Iranian facilities, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced concern at strikes carried out by the United States on Iran nuclear sites, calling them a "dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge." UN Secretary-General António Guterres "At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos," Guterres said in a statement. "There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace." 10:00 Israeli emergency services have said about 10 sites were hit by Iran's missiles, including in Tel Aviv, Carmel, and Haifa, after Iran launched two waves of missiles following the US bombing of its nuclear sites, Israeli security forces and first responders gather at the site of an Iranian strike that hit a residential neighbourhood in the Ramat Aviv area in Tel Aviv on June 22, 2025. AFP About 23 people are believed to have been injured, most not seriously, according to Israeli media outlets. Rescuers are continuing to search the impact sites. Some buildings in Tel Aviv have been destroyed, Haaretz reported. Israeli security forces and rescue teams work at the scene of an Iranian strike that hit Ness Ziona in central Israel on June 22, 2025. AFP Public broadcaster KAN 11 showed images of a devastated building surrounded by mounds of rubble that it said was in central Israel. 09:50 More personnel from the United States diplomatic mission departed Iraq over the weekend as part of ongoing efforts to reduce embassy staffing amid "regional tensions," a US official said after Washington attacked Iranian nuclear sites. The embassy and the consulate remain operational. "As part of our ongoing effort to streamline operations, additional personnel departed Iraq on June 21 and 22," the US official told AFP. 09:40 Iranian authorities said "no signs of contamination" after the US attacks on three of its nuclear facilities. "No signs of contamination have been recorded," according to the National Centre for the Nuclear Safety System, which operates under Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. "There is, therefore, no danger for the inhabitants living around the ... sites." The International Atomic Energy Agency also reported that there is currently no increase in off-site radiation levels at the three nuclear sites hit by US strikes. 'IAEA will provide further assessments on situation in Iran as more information becomes available,' it said. In a related statement, Saudi regulatory authorities confirmed that "no radioactive effects were detected" in the Gulf region after US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. "No radioactive effects were detected on the environment of the Kingdom and the Arab Gulf states as a result of the American military targeting of Iran's nuclear facilities," the kingdom's Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission wrote in a post on X. 09:40 Iranian officials have disputed Trump's claim that their nuclear facilities were 'obliterated'. Mohammad Manan Raisi, a lawmaker for Qom, near Fordow, told the semi-official Fars news agency the facility had not been seriously damaged. Hassan Abedini, deputy political head of Iran's state broadcaster, said Iran had evacuated the three sites some time ago. 'The enriched uranium reserves had been transferred from the nuclear centres and there are no materials left there that, if targeted, would cause radiation and be harmful to our compatriots,' he told the channel. 09:35 A Yemeni Houthi official said that the group's response to the U.S. attack on Iran was 'only a matter of time'. Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi movement's political bureau, told Al Jazeera that its ceasefire deal with Washington was before the 'war' on Iran. The group has been launching attacks on shipping lanes and Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the Israeli war. It agreed on a ceasefire deal with the United States in May to stop attacking US ships in exchange for an end to Washington's bombings of the group. 09:20 Iran's armed forces said they targeted multiple sites in Israel, including Ben Gurion airport, after US attacks on key nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic. "The twentieth wave of Operation Honest Promise 3 began using a combination of long-range liquid and solid fuel missiles with devastating warhead power," the armed forces said in a statement quoted by Fars news agency. It added that the targets included the airport, a "biological research centre," logistics bases, and various layers of command and control centres. Israel's military said it had detected two waves of missiles fired from Iran, as air raid sirens rang out in Tel Aviv and explosions rocked Jerusalem. "At this time, the (Israeli Air Force) is operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat.", the military said in a statement. A similar statement about another wave of missiles was issued 30 minutes later before the alert was lifted at around 8:10am (0510 GMT). 09:00 The Israeli military said it launched a fresh series of strikes targeting military targets, including missile launchers, in western Iran after the United States attacked the country's nuclear sites. The air force began "a series of strikes toward military targets in western Iran", a military statement said, adding it had "struck missile launchers ready to launch toward Israeli territory, soldiers in the Iranian Armed Forces, and swiftly neutralised the launchers that launched missiles toward Israeli territory a short while ago." 08:30 Iran's atomic agency said that the country will carry on with its nuclear activities despite the US attacks on key facilities. "The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran assures the great nation of Iran that despite the evil plots of its enemies ... it will not let the path of development of this national industry (nuclear), which is the result of the blood of nuclear martyrs, be stopped," the organisation said in a statement published by state media. 08:20 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US attacks as "lawless and criminal," stressing that his country has the right to defend its sovereignty. Iran foreign minister Abbas Araghchi speaks journalists ahead the family photo during the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul. AFP "The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences," he posted on X. "Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people." Tehran said Sunday there were "no signs of contamination" after the US attacks and Saudi regulators said "no radioactive effects were detected" in the Gulf region. Iranian media confirmed that part of the Fordo plant as well as the Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites were attacked. 08:05 Israel has closed its airspace until further notice "due to recent developments", the Israel Airports Authority announced on Sunday morning following the US bombing of Iran. Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv "The airspace of the State of Israel is closed to entry and exit due to recent developments," the authority said in a statement, specifying that "land crossing points (with Egypt) and Jordan are operating normally." Israel had initially closed its airspace on 13 June after launching the bombing campaign against Iran but reopened it on Friday for flights repatriating Israeli citizens stranded abroad. 08:00 Trump said the US military carried out a "very successful attack" on three Iranian nuclear sites, including the underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordow. US President Donald Trump (C) arrives to address the nation, alongside US Vice President JD Vance (L), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2nd L) and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (C), from the White House in Washington, DC on June 21, 2025. AFP "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran," including Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan, Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. "A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site," Fordow, he said, adding that the planes were safely out of Iranian airspace and on the way home. The president said that after the strikes, Iran "must now agree to end this war," insisting that under no circumstances should Iran possess a nuclear weapon. Iranian media said part of the Fordow uranium enrichment facility, as well as the Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites, were attacked. Israel raised its alert level after the strikes, permitting only essential activities until further notice, the Israeli military announced. In a televised address to the nation from the White House, Trump warned that the United States would go after more targets if Iran did not make peace quickly. "Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success," said Trump, adding that they targeted the crucial underground nuclear enrichment plant of Fordo along with facilities at Natanz and Isfahan. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran the bully of the Middle East must now make peace," said Trump. Trump said that future attacks would be "far greater" unless Iran reached a diplomatic solution. "Remember, there are many targets left," he said. Trump said earlier on his Truth Social site that a "full payload of BOMBS" was dropped on Fordo and noted that "all planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors." The raid on the Iranian nuclear sites was carried out by B-2 stealth bombers that dropped so-called "bunker buster bombs," along with submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, US media reported. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump on the strikes, saying, "with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history." Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Middle East Eye
7 days ago
- Health
- Middle East Eye
Palestinian family rescued after 37-day siege in southern Gaza
Rescue teams from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) evacuated a family of six from Abasan, east of Khan Younis, after they had been trapped for 37 days under severe humanitarian conditions. The operation, carried out on Saturday, followed days of coordination amid ongoing Israeli military activity that had made access unsafe. The family was transferred to the PRCS-run Al-Mawasi Field Hospital, west of Khan Younis, where they are receiving full medical and psychological care. The group had endured intense physical and emotional hardship during their isolation, as movement in the area remained highly dangerous due to Israeli targeting of civilians, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
