Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
According to reports, a panel at the Democratic National Convention saw hundreds in attendance listening to heartbreaking stories from doctors who had worked in Gaza’s devastated hospitals, where many of the patients are injured children.
Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, a Palestinian American surgeon, recounted the story of a young boy who had lost his entire family and expressed a desire to die because everyone he loved was now in heaven.
Haj-Hassan also shared that even the children she had treated and discharged were at risk of death due to bombings, starvation, and dehydration. There were troubling reports of the first cases of childhood polio in Gaza.
Another panelist, Hala Hijazi, a Democratic fundraiser, revealed that she had lost over 100 family members in the recent attacks. She emphasized the need to address reproductive freedoms in Gaza, highlighting the challenges faced by pregnant women in the region.
Despite the emotional pleas from organizers and protesters in Chicago, the Democratic Party’s platform currently does not address conditioning weapons provisions to Israel or implementing an arms embargo as requested by delegates and various advocacy groups.
While the convention focused on domestic issues like abortion and protecting workers, the ongoing crisis in Gaza highlighted the disconnect between the party’s priorities and the urgent need for action in the region.
As the convention continues, the protests are expected to escalate as advocates demand meaningful change in the party’s stance on Palestine. It is crucial for the Democratic National Convention to acknowledge and address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which is exacerbated by U.S. support.
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