Hamas: A New Pretext to Attack Israel

by Khaled Abu Toameh • April 8, 2020 at 5:00 am

These Hamas leaders, who have done virtually nothing to provide basic healthcare in the Gaza Strip, are now trying to hold Israel responsible for the shortage of the ventilators in Palestinian hospitals.
Since 2014, Hamas has invested about $120 million in the terror tunnels. According to various estimates, a terror tunnel costs anywhere from three to 10 million US dollars -- depending on its length and depth.
One might ask: What have Sinwar and other Hamas leaders done to help their hospitals and people in the past 12 years?... What about the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority government for the safety and health of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip?

On April 2, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (right) threatened: "If ventilators are not brought to Gaza [by Israel], we will take them by force from Israel and stop the breathing of six million settlers." (Photo by Said Khatib/AFP via Getty Images)

The leaders of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that has been controlling the Gaza Strip since 2007, say they are worried about the shortage of medical ventilators during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

These Hamas leaders, who have done virtually nothing to provide basic healthcare in the Gaza Strip, are now trying to hold Israel responsible for the shortage of ventilators in Palestinian hospitals.

Hamas leaders are, in fact, threatening to use terrorism to force Israel to provide the Gaza Strip with ventilators.

These are the same leaders who until recently were authorizing rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip against Israeli communities. These are the same leaders who never miss an opportunity to remind everyone of their wish to destroy Israel. These are also the same leaders who never accept responsibility for the well-being of their people and constantly search for ways to blame Israel for the miseries of Palestinians.

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Coronavirus in Turkey: Government Targets Doctors

by Sezen Şahin • April 8, 2020 at 4:00 am

"We see images coming from all over country. Mass graves are being excavated. They deny these images, but until when will they deny them? Why have all hospitals in Izmir been declared coronavirus hospitals?" — Dr. Barbaros Çetin, Professor, Department of Biology, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir; Gündeme Bakış, March 30, 2020.
"This has nothing to do with creating panic. The truth must be told. Let people be afraid; it is okay to be afraid. Look at what's happening; people get too relaxed. The same thing happened in Iran." — Dr. Barbaros Çetin, Professor, Department of Biology, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir; Gündeme Bakış, March 30, 2020.
"Physicians are afraid to make a diagnosis." — Dr. Osman Sağlam, co-chair of the Mardin Medical Chamber, Mardin; Tigris Haber, March 18. On March 28, he was called to the police station to testify.

As the number of coronavirus infections in Turkey continues to climb, many medical experts there who have called on people to take more precautions or who have criticized the government for mishandling the virus crisis have been silenced by authorities. (Image source: iStock)

Since the first coronavirus case in Turkey was officially confirmed on March 11, the number of cases has climbed to 30,217 and Turkey's death toll to 649, Turkey's health minister announced on April 6.

Many medical experts, however, who have called on people in Turkey to take more precautions or who have criticized the government for mishandling the virus crisis have been silenced by authorities.

Two physicians have been made to apologize after giving information to their colleagues or the public about the threat of coronavirus in the country, and two others have been summoned to appear at police headquarters for statements they made to the media. The doctors, now officially under investigation, are accused of allegedly "creating fear and panic among the people".

On March 28, Dr. Yusuf Savran, a Pandemic Service Specialist at Izmir's Dokuz Eylül University, shared a video on his YouTube account, in which he said:

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