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Israeli reserve army doctors demand to treat wounded in Syria
A group of reservist IDF doctors have written to the Chief of Staff demanding that they be sent to Syria, despite the dangers, to treat wounded civilians.
The doctors from the Paratroopers Brigade wrote to IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, saying that they can no longer be passive “witnesses” to the “indiscriminate slaughter” taking place in Syria.
According to website 04040, the letter included: “We know there are security considerations, and we know there are diplomatic considerations. But there is a principle, there is a truth, and there is morality: We must demand from ourselves to be there for them.”
It is estimated that Israel has treated around 2,600 Syrian casualties during the Syrian civil war, either in field hospitals on the Israeli-Syrian border or in regular hospitals inside Israel. The wounded Syrians arrive at the border fence, where IDF forces transport them for treatment.
Last night, more than 1,000 Israelis formed a human chain in support of Syria’s civilians, stretching from the Russian Embassy to the US Embassy in Tel Aviv.
The Israeli anti-racism organisation Tag Meir organised the demonstration and said: “We cannot stand on the sidelines in the face of the horrific images of civilian slaughter coming out of Aleppo. We can’t be silent.”
On Thursday, an Israeli grassroots crowdfunding initiative was launched to purchase food, medication, warm clothing and other goods for wounded Syrians. Delivering aid via the Israeli Flying Aid organisation, it raised £85,000 within the first two days.
On Friday, Adal Amar, the head of the communist faction in the Arab-Jewish Hadash party, which forms part of the Joint Arab List, sparked controversy when he praised the “unification of Aleppo”. On Sunday, he attempted to clarify his comments by telling Army Radio “we support the Syrian people and condemn hurting civilians”.
Nonetheless, it prompted Joint Arab List leader Ayman Odeh to release a statement saying: “Neither I nor the Joint List support the Assad regime. We support the people of Syria”.