Orla Guerin, who has a long record of anti-Israel animus, that some — you and I, for example — may believe descends into antisemitism, has just published an “Analysis” piece for the BBC in which she dismisses what the IDF has so far found in just one small wing of the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. She posted her piece when the IDF had been inside the hospital for only five hours, so its investigation of the vast complex had hardly begun. It had so far focused only on a small wing of one building, where the MRI room was located. Her piece can be found, by scrolling down, here:
Guerin says that after storming Shifa Hospital, “Israel doesn’t have too much to show for its efforts”? Early days, Orla. How absurdly impatient you are. It had only been five hours since the IDF first entered the hospital, and searched one very small part of the vast complex, when you published your dismissive article. Please give the IDF time to search other parts of the hospital. And remember, the IDF has not yet entered the tunnels beneath the hospital. There will be time enough for you, Orla, to eat your words.
Guerin says the IDF found a “dozen old assault rifles.” Is that how a military man would describe the AK-47? This “old assault rifle” is used today by the armies of twenty countries, including those of China, Egypt, Iran, and Syria. Those armies don’t regard the AK-47 as old and antiquated. But Orla Guerin wants to make you think nothing the IDF uncovered has been of much significance. Pay it all no never mind.
Guerin adds: “There are a few bullet proof vests, three [sic] hand grenades, some CDs, a handgun, a laptop, a rucksack, and a few knives.”
Apparently we are to conclude that “only” a dozen AK-47s (old, of little worth, practically harmless), and three grenades (I counted six in the photograph), and lots of ammunition (Guerin doesn’t mention that) don’t rise to the level of proof of a Hamas presence in the hospital. Why not? How else would such weaponry be there? It’s not the number of items that count, but the very fact that such weapons and uniforms have been found at all, that are. sufficient evidence that Hamas had been inside the Shifa Hospital.
In addition to more than a dozen AK-47s, the IDF found a half-dozen grenades, supplies of ammunition, flak jackets, uniforms with Hamas insignia, knives, and other military gear, ready to go in rucksacks. She doesn’t mention the ammunition, the suicide-bomb vests, the uniforms with Hamas insignia. Nor does she note that the IDF found a computer, with a great deal of intelligence information on it about Hamas, including details about one of the Israelis it kidnapped, Ori Megidish, who had earlier been rescued by the IDF. And all this was found in just one small room, in one small part of the hospital complex, the MRI room. Does Orla Guerin think nothing else will be found in other areas of the hospital? Does she think that nothing will be found in the tunnels right underneath the Shifa Hospital, where the IDF believes a huge command-and-control center exists?
Guerin mocks the IDF for not having found a “command center” in the MRI Room, but at no time did the IDF claim such a center was inside the hospital itself. It is still preparing to enter the tunnel complex under the hospital where we will see — even Orla Guerin will see — if Israel has been right in its suspicions. I don’t doubt their judgement — do you? Hamas has known for weeks that the IDF was almost certainly going to enter the hospital, and search both inside and under the building and therefore must have moved its headquarters, via the tunnel network, far away from Al-Shifa. Nonetheless, there will still remain telltale signs of its previous presence and perhaps some odd items left behind — a grenade, an AK-47, a guide to the Haifa water purification plant, a map of a kindergarten in Sderot — that speak of miching mallecho to come.
But it seems likely that the army would want to show the maximum at this point, to justify its assault on the hospital.
How can the IDF “show the maximum” at this point, when it has hardly begun its search of the hospital, having had only a few hours inside the hospital, with its search so far limited to one small wing of the sprawling hospital? The IDF shows what it has found so far, with much more undoubtedly to come. No one yet knows how many weapons Hamas has left behind in the tunnels directly under the hospital, nor how many it has managed, during the last few weeks, to move to a more distant part of the tunnel tunnel network, or even managed, through tunnel exits that the IDF has not yet found and destroyed, to bring some of those weapons to the surface, to be used in ambushes of IDF soldiers.
Orla Guerin says that the Israeli claim about weapons “could not be independently verified.”
So the photographs of the weapons already shown in videos made by the IDF do not convince Ms. Guerin? What would convince her? Does Israel have a record of misreporting that entitles us to be suspicious of its claims, or has it been scrupulous to report the truth, and on the very few occasions when it has been initially inaccurate, it has always promptly corrected itself, as it did about the shooting of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, which, after investigating, it declared to be Israel’s fault?
The IDF will show what it finds, as it finds it.
Wait a bit, Olga Guerin, before making your pronouncements about how “little the IDF has to show” for its “Al-Shifa operation,” as you put it. Let the IDF complete its search of the hospital, and then, even more important, complete its search of the tunnels underneath, where the IDF is sure that Hamas has placed its headquarters, deep under Shifa Hospital. Give the IDF a chance, for god’s sake, to uncover the telltale signs of Hamas’ presence, without your snide dismissal of what it has found so far.
Istanbul_Chick says
“Guerin adds: “There are a few bullet proof vests, three [sic] hand grenades, some CDs, a handgun, a laptop, a rucksack, and a few knives.”
I don’t know about this harridan, but if such items were found at my local hospital I’d be more than a little concerned.
Barbara says
Those items left behind when the terrorists left in a hurry. It is what they escaped with that concerns me.
bill says
Her face betrays what she is like, but it is nroaml for only information biased against Israel to be on the BBC, In any case if Hamas was not there in strength why did it take so much action to remove them?
Namer says
No AK-47 has been made since about 1954 so if thats what they are then they are old but still useable.
ElderlyZionist says
Say what? There are new production AK-47 rifles displayed for sale at my friendly local gun store.
bill says
Perhaps that is so in Russia (former USSR in case you forget) but they are produced in other countries quite easily
tim gallagher says
What the fuck would this poisonous toad, Guerin, know? Nothing. Nothing but a propagandist for the Muslim and Palestinian cause like so many left wing wankers. If reality does not fit her narrative, then the truth has to be thrown away. No doubt her fellow left wing wankers at the BBC would see her a terrific person and a hero for their cause for spreading such bullshit.
cornelius says
Hugh and folks, please check out this Israeli satirist and what he did here. Absolutely hilarious!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWM0CHQ5TNc
somehistory says
Pretty much like it is. thanks for sharing.
somehistory says
How about if some mozlum puts one of the knives to her throat, or holds one of the guns to her ugly face, and demands that she bow and recite the evil oath to satan or he will detonate the grenade he has against her chest.
People like this evil creature, deserve to have done to them as is happening to the tiny children of Israel….some murdered, others taken hostage after the murder of their parents. God knows just what is happening to those babies hamas ghouls took with them.
If the weapons are no big deal, she shouldn’t mind if they are used against her. Better her than the innocent children.
Westman says
The operations were 20 meters below, behind a blast door meaning regular explosives can’t breach it. A sufficient explosion might bring down the hospital. It is likely booby trapped so locating and drilling to another part of the tunnel would take time.
The Brits BBC war hawks have been wrong about everything, speading the lie that Ukraine is winning, Russia’s economy is failing, London doesn’t have an Islam problem, and dumping on Israel.
https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/its-time-to-end-magical-thinking-about-russias-defeat-f6d0b8de
5.5% GDP growth and a positive trade balance:
https://www.reuters.com › markets › europe › russias-q3-gdp-growth-estimated-55-rosstat-2023-11-15
Yeah, I know. It’s reality, we don’t have to like it; lies have consequences still to come.
WHERE IS THE DIRT ON GAZA? (interesting thought)
300 miles of tunnels is about 30 Million square feet of removed dirt. The Great Pyramid Of Egypt is about 90 Million sq-ft. The claimed tunnel excavations removed a volume equal to 1/3 the volume of the pyramid. How was it hidden? There is no way Palestinians were unaware of the tunnel constructions and likely were employed to dig them. But 300 Miles?
Westman says
Half-asleep. Those are cubic feet, not square feet. 90 million CuFt for pyramid and 30 Million CuFt for tunnels.
deze MN bee says
Yes. 3ft x 6ft x 1584000ft = 28,512,000 cubic ft.
Over the years the the excavated material would have been pushed through a “sewage” pipe under the famously popular Aloha Snackbar on the coastal strip and then into the Mediterranean Sea.
James Lincoln says
The BBC propaganda outlet is, in effect, aiding and abetting Hamas.
Crown says
Guerin is an Irish journalist, according to Wikipedia. Why did I suspect that, even before I looked her up?
I hate to sound prejudiced, but can someone please explain to me why so many foaming-at-the-mouth anti-Israel diatribes come from the Irish? I am trying to be fair, and I am sure there are a number of friends of Israel among the Irish. But my God… I loathe those morally preening virtue-signaling Irish like Guerlin.
Hey, Eamon de Valera sent his condolences to Germany upon receiving the news of Herr Hitler’s death, so… perhaps Guerlin was just following an old tradition in Ireland of sympathizing with Nazis.
One last point… I’m wondering how tall that tree was? I mean, the sour/nasty/ugly tree, that is, because Guerlin assuredly hit every branch falling from the top of it.
Mick says
The PLO and Libya supplied arms and training to the IRA from the late 60s.
deze MN bee says
“Guerin” is a well known Irish surname although it sounds French -and that would be ironic since the Norman French, after they invaded England in 1066, extended their power across the Irish Sea. It seems the southern Irish are pro-Hamas because the Irish have been much put upon by invaders, colonisers, toffee-nosed Englishmen, and just about everyone else making rotten Irish jokes about them.
Rufolino says
Most of the BBC’s reportage about Israel’s activities in this war is in the pejorative. They took a similar pejorative tone in their reportage on Trump’s presidency.
Mick says
No surprise. Hamas have had time to move their weapons/ files from the hospital. Guerin and Bowen should be asking why Israel is attacking an abandoned fortress.
Princess says
I suggest for her to ride along with the IDF, in order for her to see for herself,
Alena says
Olga snake laps up what HAMAS say