POLITICO Nightly: The DOGE plan that could cost millions

 

By Alice Miranda Ollstein Presented by The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing A cloudy sky is seen above the Planned Parenthood Reproductive Health Services Center in St. Louis, Missouri. | Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images IGNORANCE IS BLISS!  LOOK AT CBO FIGURES! PLANNED PARENTHOOD PROVIDE SERVICES IN LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES  COSTLY SAVINGS — President-elect Donald Trump’s close allies are sharpening their knives, eager to carve up the federal budget when they take power in January. And while much of what they will target for elimination remains a mystery, the shrink-the-government brigade has openly taken up a longstanding battle cry of social conservatives: defunding Planned Parenthood. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the co-leaders of the vaguely defined “Department of Government Efficiency” that will be recommending cuts to the Trump administration, wrote in a November op-ed that they will “help end federal overspending by taking aim at” an array of programs, and specifically called out “nearly $300 million [going] to progressive groups like Planned Parenthood.” Anti-abortion activists and GOP lawmakers who have long pushed for defunding the network of clinics — including Speaker Mike Johnson, who called for it in a recent interview — are thrilled that it’s now in DOGE’s crosshairs. Many are urging their supporters to pressure Trump to follow through, arguing that slashing these federal funds dovetails with his campaign trail pledge to leave the regulation of abortion up to states. But the last time there was a concerted push on Capitol Hill to strip funding from Planned Parenthood, the Congressional Budget Office calculated that doing so would actually cost the government more than it saved — $130 million over 10 years to be exact. CBO found that eliminating the taxpayer dollars the group receives through Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Title X family planning program — none of which can be used for abortions under longstanding federal law — would save about $520 million over a decade, but cost about $650 million. That’s because “as much as 25 percent of the estimated 2.6 million clients served by Planned Parenthood would face reduced access to care,” the nonpartisan office said, particularly “services that help women avert pregnancies,” meaning “the number of births in the Medicaid program would increase by several thousand per year.” Essentially, subsidizing birth control is far cheaper than subsidizing births, so the cost of funding Planned Parenthood would be passed on — and surpassed — by the increased cost of funding Medicaid. CBO found that the Planned Parenthood patients who would be most affected by the cuts “reside in areas without access to other health care clinics or medical practitioners who serve low-income populations.” A mini version of this scenario played out during Trump’s first administration, when he implemented anti-abortion restrictions on the Title X program that prompted Planned Parenthood to quit the program, forfeiting tens of millions in annual federal funding. At the time, conservatives insisted other, better medical providers would fill the void, but few materialized. As a result, the program provided services to 844,083 fewer clients in 2019 — the first year Trump’s rules took effect — compared with the previous year, according to HHS . In particular, 225,688 fewer patients received oral contraceptives; 49,803 fewer received hormonal implants; and 86,008 fewer clients received intrauterine devices. Of course, many on the right want to defund Planned Parenthood for ideological reasons more than fiscal ones, and see $130 million as a small price to pay for dealing a blow to an organization they view as fundamentally immoral. And for some members of the emerging natalist wing of the GOP, an increase in births among low-income women who otherwise would have terminated their pregnancies is a feature, rather than a bug. But in a post-Roe environment in which doctors and clinics are moving out of states with abortion bans, exacerbating pre-existing provider shortages, medical care for those mothers and their babies is increasingly scarce — and costly (often to taxpayers) when available. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at aollstein@politico.com on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @AliceOllstein .   A message from The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing: Big Pharma’s patent abuse drives up drug prices and blocks competition – costing patients and the U.S. health care system billions. Patent thickets protect profits, not innovation, and extend monopolies on blockbuster drugs while millions of Americans struggle to afford their medications. This year, the Senate unanimously passed Cornyn-Blumenthal, a bipartisan solution to curb these anti-competitive tactics. Time is running out – Congress must pass Cornyn-Blumenthal and deliver relief to patients before it’s too late. Learn more.   What'd I Miss? — Three dead, others injured in a shooting at a private Christian school in Wisconsin: A youth opened fire at a private Christian school this morning in Wisconsin , killing two people in the final week before Christmas break. The shooter also died, police said. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes offered no details on the victims but said other people were wounded at Abundant Life Christian School, a K-12 school with about 390 students. Police previously said a total of five people had died. Barnes said police were alerted shortly before 11 a.m. and did not fire their weapons when they rushed into the school. Barnes suggested the shooter died by suicide. JAMES COMER & GYM JORDAN LIED! THEY FAILED TO SCRUTINIZE A LIAR WHO WAS PAID! REMINDER: US firm that paid indicted FBI informant tied to Trump associates, records reveal THE GUARDIAN INVESTIGATED ALEXANDER SMIRNOV, THE LIAR THAT MAGA  MORONS PRESENTED AS 'WHISTLEBLOWER,' NOT IMPRISONED.  MAGA MORONS DISCREDITED THEMSELVES WITH THEIR RUSH TO EMBRACE LIES.  THIS IS WHAT REAL JOURNALISM & INVESTIGATION LOOKS LIKE! RELATED STORIES INCLUDED: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/14/company-paying-fbi-informant-trump-connections — Former FBI informant pleads guilty to lying about phony bribery scheme involving the Bidens: A former FBI informant pleaded guilty today to lying about a phony bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter that became central to the Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress. Alexander Smirnov entered his plea to a felony charge in connection with the bogus story, along with a tax evasion charge stemming from a separate indictment accusing him of concealing millions of dollars of income. Smirnov had been an informant for more than a decade when he made the explosive allegations about the Bidens in June 2020, after “expressing bias” about Joe Biden as a presidential candidate, prosecutors said. MAGA MORONS PREPARING TO HOLD THE BUDGET HOSTAGE YET AGAIN! THREATENING TO SHUT GOVERNMENT DOWN AGAIN... — Congress eyes March CR deadline: House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole told reporters today that a short-term government funding bill will go through mid-March . Asked if that meant there would be a March 14 deadline, Cole (R-Okla.) said, “Yeah,” before heading onto an elevator. The deadline comes as leadership is trying to finalize the government funding deal. Leadership initially told lawmakers to tentatively plan for a vote on Wednesday, but Cole noted that they could have to stay into town later if they can’t get text released today.   Billions in spending. Critical foreign aid. Immigration reform. The final weeks of 2024 could bring major policy changes. Inside Congress provides daily insights into how Congressional leaders are navigating these high-stakes issues. Subscribe today .     THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION THANK YOU! RFK JR HAS NO SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION, CONTRADICTS HIMSELF ENDLESSLY, IS IT HIS LONG TERM HEROIN ADDICTION, THE BRAIN WORM OR MERCURY POISONING?  ANTI-VAX IS NOT A SOLUTION! THE LATEST WAS OPPOSITION TO THE POLIO VACCINE THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN EFFECTIVE....POLIO HAS A LENGTHY INCUBATION PERIOD WHICH MAKES IT OF GREAT CONCERN.... THE LAST POLIO SURVIVORS WHO HAVE SPENT THEIR LIVES IN IRON LUNGS ARE DYING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! RFK JR WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN CONVINCING SAMOA, WRONGFULLY, TO STOP INNOCULATING FOR MEASLES WHICH CAUSED SO MANY DEATHS, THEY RAN OUT OF SMALL COFFINS! ON THE AIRWAVES — Opponents of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to lead HHS are buying tens of thousands of dollars in ads across the states of key Republican senators as he plans to meet with them this week. Protect Our Care, which has launched a Stop RFK War Room, has bought advertising slots — from digital ads to billboards — calling on constituents to urge their senators to oppose Kennedy’s nomination, leaders of the group told POLITICO. The group is targeting GOP senators it believes could be persuaded to vote against Kennedy’s confirmation: Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and the newly elected Jim Justice (R-W.Va.). AT THE PENTAGON — The Trump administration’s landing team will arrive at the Pentagon today and be led by Michael Duffey, a former deputy chief of staff at the agency during the president-elect’s first term , according to four people with knowledge of the decision and internal documents obtained by POLITICO. Duffey, who served in several roles in the first Trump administration, ensured the continuation in 2019 of Trump’s controversial hold on U.S. military aid to Ukraine after career officials raised questions about the legality of the move. That hold, which Duffey assisted with keeping in place while at the Office of Management and Budget, helped lead to Trump’s first impeachment. MEET THE PRESS — President-elect Donald Trump today promised to continue his siege against the media, pledging to move forward with more litigation after winning a $15 million settlement in a defamation suit against ABC. In his first press conference since winning back the presidency, Trump covered a wide range of issues including the polio vaccine and vaccine mandates, a pardon for New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New Jersey drone sightings, threats to first federal employees, Ron DeSantis’ Florida Senate pick, world leaders at his inauguration, his plans for tariffs, relationship with President Xi Jinping and the war in Ukraine.   A message from The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing:     AROUND THE WORLD Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in the beginning of the active phase of a large scale naval exercise in the Kremlin on Sept. 10, 2024. | Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP BLUFF & BLUSTER! RUSSIA COULD  NOT PROTECT THE SYRIAN THUG, RUSSIA IS LOSING IN SUDAN!  THE NEXT STAGE — Russia has to prepare for war with NATO as well as complete its war against Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov told the Defense Ministry today in a joint meeting with President Vladimir Putin. “The Ministry of Defense of Russia must be ready for any development of events, including a possible military conflict with NATO in Europe in the next decade,” Belousov said. The Russian comments come as United States President-elect Donald Trump called for a rapid end to the fighting, saying today: “We’re trying to get the war stopped, that horrible, horrible war that’s going on in Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine. We’re going to get a little progress, it’s a tough one, it’s a nasty one, it’s nasty.” But Moscow shows no sign of giving up the fight it launched over two years ago. Belousov said that Russia has taken the initiative in the fighting and aims to fully conquer Ukraine’s Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk regions by next year. He claimed that Ukrainian troops are exhausted and the Russian army has been rapidly advancing on all fronts. HAT IN THE RING — Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan will run as an independent in a 2025 rerun of Romania’s recently canceled presidential election, he announced at a press conference today. Dan, a 54-year-old mathematician and activist whose first name translates as “Little Nick,” is serving his second term as mayor of Bucharest. He founded and previously led a liberal party that gave rise to the Save Romania Union — currently the third-largest party in the parliament. In his first campaign for mayor in 2016, Dan promised to eliminate corruption, tax evasion and money laundering — the hallmarks of previous mayors, one of whom was even jailed for graft. He conveyed a similar message in announcing his candidacy today, noting the need to tackle corruption, give the country a direction and heal social and cultural divisions. O CANADA — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has lost his top minister. Chrystia Freeland, the deputy prime minister and finance minister, resigned hours before she was due to deliver a major speech about the country’s finances — and to share the Liberal government’s fiscal plan heading into a high-stakes election year. Freeland dropped the bombshell news in a letter to Trudeau in which she revealed apparent discord with the prime minister stretching back through the fall. Nobody else in Trudeau’s Cabinet matched the international profile of Freeland, who cultivated a global rolodex of business and political leaders over 30 years in journalism.   Write your own chapter in the new Washington. From the Lame Duck Congress Series to New Administration insights, POLITICO Pro delivers intelligence across 22+ policy areas to help you anticipate and navigate change. Discover how a Pro subscription empowers you. Learn more today .     Nightly Number 33 The number of pardons issued today by New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in his first act of clemency, nearly seven years after he first took office. Murphy promised this was just the “first round” of legal relief, with more to come over his final year in office. RADAR SWEEP GUIDE TO GIFT GUIDES — If you’ve been doing some online shopping over the past month, you’ve probably encountered — whether you know it or not — hundreds of “affiliate links.” Most times that you click on a link from a gift guide or other third party service, and then buy something from a big online retailer, a percentage of what you spent is going back to the website or creator who directed you there in the first place . For example, if you see a pair of J Crew pants on Wirecutter that look good and then purchase them, some of the money that you spent is going back to Wirecutter. So how does this affect the retail market — and what fills up gift guides? Emilia Petrarca explains in her newsletter Shop Rat. Parting Image On this date in 1973: President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon meet with Rev. Billy Graham and his wife Ruth in the White House after a worship service. | Charles Tasnadi/AP Did someone forward this email to you?  Sign up here .   A message from The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing: Big Pharma’s patent abuse drives up drug prices and blocks competition – costing patients and the U.S. health care system billions. Patent thickets protect profits, not innovation, and extend monopolies on blockbuster drugs while millions of Americans struggle to afford their medications. This year, the Senate unanimously passed Cornyn-Blumenthal, a bipartisan solution to curb these anti-competitive tactics. Time is running out – Congress must pass Cornyn-Blumenthal and deliver relief to patients before it’s too late. Learn more.     Follow us on Twitter Charlie Mahtesian @PoliticoCharlie Calder McHugh @calder_mchugh   Follow us

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Kansas to stop enforcing voter suppression law

 

Monday, December 16 Kansas will stop enforcing law criminalizing voter engagement In a victory for voters, the state of Kansas agreed to permanently stop enforcing a voter suppression law that undermined civic groups and made it harder for them to register voters. Congressional Democrats propose amendment to abolish Electoral College Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen (D) introduced a joint resolution in Congress last week to amend the U.S. Constitution to abolish the Electoral College and mandate that the president be elected by the popular vote. “Americans expect and deserve to see the winner of the national popular vote for any elected office assume the office as its legitimate winner,” Cohen said. “The Electoral College is a vestige of the 18th Century when voters didn’t know the candidates.” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who sponsored the Senate version of the bill, said, “No one’s vote should count for more based on where they live. The Electoral College is outdated and it’s undemocratic.” State Supreme Court races to follow in 2025 In states where Supreme Court justices are elected, voters play a direct role in shaping the judiciary. Next year, state Supreme Court elections will be held in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Louisiana. Read here to learn what you should know about these races. Trial and oral argument coming up tomorrow A trial starts in a lawsuit challenging the legislative map of Nassau County, New York. County officials and voters argued that the map's districts decreased the voting power of minority residents, violating the New York Voting Rights Act. The Iowa Supreme Court will review a challenge to a state law that requires most political documents from the state to be printed in English. A lower court ruled that the law does not apply to voting materials, and the state appealed this order.

 

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The Last Two Weeks Have Been the Most Dire in Gaza War: Hospital Director

Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza "will turn into a graveyard for everyone inside" amid ongoing Israeli attacks

Herman Gill Dec 16 ∙ Guest post

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Two paramedics who arrived to assist at Kamal Adwan Hospital yesterday were injured by Israeli forces / Hussam Abu Safiya

Since the beginning of October, all three remaining hospitals in northern Gaza have endured relentless military attacks by Israel. Only three healthcare facilities in northern Gaza remain “minimally functional,” according to the World Health Organization, including the Indonesian, Al-Awda, and Kamal Adwan Hospitals.

As Israeli forces have laid siege to large swathes of the region, Kamal Adwan and its neighborhood have become symbols of Palestinian resistance. How much longer it can withstand Israel’s assault is unclear. Without immediate intervention, “the hospital will turn into ruins,” Hussam Abu Safiya, a physician and the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, told Drop Site News.

More than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed or reported missing since October 5 and over 12,000 people have been injured, according to a spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense services, Gaza’s primary rescue agency. The humanitarian crisis continues to deepen as access to food, water, and medical supplies remains almost nonexistent. Repeated Israeli attacks had rendered Gaza’s civil defense services completely inoperable by October 23, making rescue efforts virtually impossible. On November 26, Gaza’s civil defense services reported receiving more than 2,600 calls from people trapped under rubble across northern Gaza. But their ambulances and firetrucks have all been destroyed, preventing emergency workers from reaching them—meaning that many of those trapped have likely suffocated.

On December 1, Israeli airstrikes destroyed five residential buildings near Kamal Adwan, killing nearly all of the 200 civilians—including children—who lived inside. Four days later on December 5, the hospital was bombed again, injuring 12 civilians, including staff. Among the dead were 16-year-old Mahmoud Abu Al-Eish, a wheelchair-bound patient, and his caregiver, who were hit near the X-ray department.

The next day saw one of the deadliest attacks on the hospital, with Israeli airstrikes killing at least 29 people, including four medical staffers, and wounding dozens. The assault also displaced dozens of civilians seeking refuge at the hospital. Four medical staff members were killed. This was part of a larger assault on the hospital and its surroundings.

In a message to Drop Site News, Abu Safiya reported seeing “hundreds of bodies” scattered just beyond the hospital grounds, with dozens of new injuries overwhelming the already devastated medical team. Despite these catastrophic losses, surviving staff members refused to leave their posts.

The next week on December 12, three more medical staff members were injured in yet another bombardment of Kamal Adwan. And three days later, Saeed Jouda, an orthopedic surgeon, was killed by a direct shot to the head after an Israeli quadcopter drone targeted him en route to assist critical patients at neighboring Al-Awda Hospital. Kareem Jalladat, the hospital’s charge nurse, was struck by a reconnaissance missile.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 1,057 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza since the war began, underscoring the unprecedented toll on the region’s already fragile medical system. Dismantling this system is a key piece of the so-called “Generals’ Plan” to ethnically cleanse the area of the 65,000 to 75,000 Palestinians who remain trapped under increasingly inhumane conditions.

Despite these attacks, Kamal Adwan continues to operate under unimaginable conditions. Abu Safiya has endured deeply personal losses, including the death of his son in an Israeli drone attack on the hospital in October. On November 24, he suffered a leg injury that landed him in intensive care. Three days later, he was back on his feet treating patients, using a cane to help him walk.

His continued presence at the hospital reflects the desperation and resilience of its remaining staff.

Drop Site News has been in close contact with Abu Safiya, who shared critical updates about the deteriorating conditions at the hospital over the weekend. We are publishing his messages in full below, with the local times and dates noted. Though Drop Site News is unable to verify each detail, Dr. Abu Safiya’s messages are an important and powerful record of Israel's war on Gaza.

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Saturday, December 14, 11 a.m.

It was another difficult night for Kamal Adwan Hospital. The use of explosive robots is something new to us, and they are getting closer to the hospital every day. Three explosive robots detonated yesterday, breaking the doors and windows of patients’ rooms. The sound was terrifying, and this has, unfortunately, become our daily routine.

In addition to the artillery shelling and bombings from quadcopters, about five bombs were dropped on the generator unit and the oxygen supply network, causing further damage.

Today, after coordination, the repair and maintenance team from the Ministry of Health arrived. Six patients have been transferred from our hospital, and the World Health Organization brought a small amount of fuel, supplies, medical tools, and some food vouchers.

Unfortunately, the Indonesian medical delegation that was supposed to stay at Kamal Adwan Hospital was sent back.

We evacuated the most critical cases that required urgent surgical intervention. Currently, approximately 60 injured individuals remain at Kamal Adwan Hospital, most of whom also need surgical procedures. We are awaiting the return of the Ministry of Health delegation tomorrow to transfer more cases requiring surgical intervention, as Kamal Adwan Hospital lacks surgical specialties.

The supplies we received are in very limited quantities, but a little is better than none.

We have been demanding international intervention to protect the healthcare system, its workers, and the patients within it from the bombings that are perilously close to Kamal Adwan Hospital, including drone attacks that have damaged our water, oxygen, air, and electricity systems.

The situation remains extremely dire. We work under constant fear, amid bombings, terror, and the relentless dropping of explosives, all under very challenging conditions.

We hope that our plea will be heard after more than 70 days of aggression against our presence in the healthcare system in the northern Gaza Strip.

Around 0:45, a bombing during the unloading of an aid delivery breaks hospital windows / Al Jazeera

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Sunday, December 15, 10 p.m.

What is happening at Kamal Adwan Hospital is yet another dark day in the long history of suffering that the facility endures daily.

Since yesterday until now, the bombing and targeting continue around the clock.

The quadcopters are targeting generators 24 hours a day, continuously hitting essential infrastructure. They are targeting the water supply, the oxygen station, and everyone working in the vicinity, particularly those areas that support the hospital.

Today, all four generators were targeted, leading to significant damage. Unfortunately, anyone attempting to repair anything is also directly targeted by the quadcopters, which are dropping bombs on them.

There was coordination for the entry of vehicles from the Palestinian Ministry of Health to evacuate some cases and bring in supplies. However, the patients inside the ambulances were targeted by the drone bombs. Two ambulance drivers were moderately injured, and one of the patients, who was already injured and hospitalized, was also affected. Additionally, one worker who was helping transfer cases to the ambulance was injured.

As of now, the targeting has not stopped. We do not understand the reason behind this violent assault. The hospital is being directly attacked, despite our plea to the world that we need international protection for the health system and its workers for over seventy days.

Unfortunately, there has been no response or positive action regarding the protection of our health services. We are being killed daily in the hospital, and we are currently facing direct bombardment without any prior notice. We have no electricity, no water, and no oxygen.

I currently have more than fifty patients hospitalized inside the facility. Many of these patients are in intensive care and need oxygen, electricity, and water continuously.

We are facing extremely difficult days and even hours ahead. Without a quick and urgent solution to bring in the necessary supplies to repair what has been damaged by the quadcopters, the situation will worsen.

Moreover, when the northern gate was targeted, there were numerous casualties who were transferred to the hospital, and there are still martyrs present at the northern gate. We cannot retrieve or evacuate them for fear of continuous targeting of anyone moving within the area.

The situation is dire in every sense of the word. We have appealed to the world and continue to demand international protection for the health system workers at Kamal Adwan Hospital.

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Monday, December 16, 4 p.m.

Unfortunately, since yesterday until now, we have faced the same scene: the same bombings and violent targeting against Kamal Adwan Hospital.

What was new yesterday was the arrival of ambulances that were coordinated through the DCO, but there were attempts to target these ambulances, resulting in the wounding of two paramedics and disabling three out of four ambulances. Three of them are completely out of commission and are currently stranded in the streets.

What made yesterday particularly alarming was that, for the first time, the intensive care department was targeted by snipers, and all the windows of the hospital were hit. This indicates that the snipers are positioned at high points. Anyone moving within the hospital wards was at risk of being shot, creating a very dangerous situation for both patients and staff.

Three out of the four newly arrived ambulances in northern Gaza are now completely inoperable due to Israeli attacks, left stranded in the streets / Hussam Abu Safiya

Since yesterday, we have been providing medical care for some individuals in the corridors.

From morning until now, the bombing has resumed, impacting the hospital buildings, its surroundings, and the courtyard. It is evident that the focus is on the hospital—its structure, its vicinity, and anyone moving within it.

Since yesterday, we have received about 29 injuries and five martyrs.

There are urgent maintenance needs, such as repairs to generators, electricity, water, and oxygen supplies. Unfortunately, we cannot go out to fix the damage caused by the attacks yesterday and today.

We are currently enduring difficult hours without electricity, oxygen, or water. The situation in the hospital is becoming increasingly dire and will turn into a graveyard for everyone inside.

We are appealing to the world for help. We urgently call for international protection for the healthcare system and its workers.

As of now, we have not received any guarantees or promises from anyone to intervene and protect the healthcare system.

This lack of support is why we find ourselves alone in this situation. We see no one in the world standing by our side, despite the claims of humanity and democracy. What crime has a hospital committed while providing humanitarian services to injured women and children? We are being targeted in this manner without anyone intervening or condemning these actions.

Unfortunately, there has been no denunciation or commitment to halt these barbaric and inhuman attacks.

Hussam Abu Safiya, in a video from December 16. It shows damage to Kamal Adwan Hospital, where Israeli snipers targeted staff inside northern Gaza’s only ICU. Israel also bombed the hospital’s generators, cutting electricity entirely, while drone strikes continue to hit its yard, windows, and gates / @translatingpal

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Herman Gill is a writer for Drop Site News, where he manages and creates social media content. His work focuses on foreign affairs, with a particular emphasis on the Middle East.

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A guest post by Herman Gill

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