Hamas-Israel
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The war between Hamas and IsraelDossierWhile buildings in Gaza collapse under airstrikes a few kilometers south, patients in the Barzilai medical complex show strong antipathy towards the Palestinians.
Ashkelon, a thousand-year-old port city just outside Gaza, is at war. Although not yet evacuated, the streets of the city of 150,000 are almost empty. We see charred cars, broken windows; Some buildings bear traces of rockets. Warnings are common day and night. Here the air vibrates when the IDF attacks the north of the Gaza Strip, just fifteen kilometers away.
In the south of the city lies the large Barzilai medical complex. It borders a large coastal park and offers a relaxing view of the vastness of the Mediterranean. It was the center of rescue operations during the Hamas offensive on October 7 and continues to house hundreds of injured, including many children. It has long been a symbol of southern Israel’s resilience to rockets from Gaza: The hospital has been hit twice since October 7, but work there continues as normal. Unless we welcome a diplomatic delegation that comes running to note the plight of the bereaved and promise the unwavering solidarity of a distant people. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna was there on Sunday, October 15th.
“Did you know that Putin’s birthday was October 7th?”
The middle is in just under two hours