Another visit to hospital

I took the picture on the right a few days ago when Irit and I went to visit a friend whose father is terminally ill in Rambam hospital in Haifa. It's not that clear from the picture but the sight we saw as we approached the main entrance of the hospital were tens of stretcher beds and wheelchairs outside the emergency room waiting for the injured, either from rocket attacks in Haifa or injured soldiers from Lebanon.

Yesterday evening Irit and I went again to Rambam hospital (to visit the same friend) but this time, things looked much worse. There were far more stretcher beds waiting ourside the emergency room, several TV outside broadcast vans (aiting to broadcast about injured) and we found that many of the regular wards had been relocated in the concrete basement of the hospital. Our friend's father had been moved out yesterday to another hospital and it was clear that the hospital is on a war footing. They are obviously preparing themselves for the possibility of many more dead and injured . Emptying wards of non-critical patients and moving the remaining patients underground is not exactly a hopeful sign either.

The Israeli cabinet yesterday authorised a massive expansion of the land operation but it has been put on hold. Prime Minister Olmert is actiong very cautiously and known to be very concerned that hundreds of Israeli soldiers might be killed in such an operation. As terrible as any casualties are, so far casualties on both sides are limited. But it isn't over yet, and for Israel (and the Palestinians) it may never be over.