According to the United Nations refugee agency, on Sunday (7/13/14) more than 17,000 men, women and children living in northern Gaza took Israel's warning and fled their homes.
17,000 reached refugee centers. And when this round of the fighting ends between Hamas and Isreal the fortunate ones will have homes to return to while the rest will be homeless.
This is the normal destructive course of war. At least the Israelis didn't shell them which would have killed large numbers of people.
What any of this will accomplish the combatants have not said, for both are determined to destroy each other whatever the cost and a discussion of peace has no place on their agenda. It is simply an eye for an eye.
And similar scenarios are playing out in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine and elsewhere.
Yet we all know this is wrong, but in silence most of us allow it to happen, thankful it isn't happening to us. But when it happens to our brethren it is happening to us. Their children are our children and ultimately their destiny will affect our lives.
"What can I do," you may be thinking. Plenty. You can pray for them. You can sign petitions or letters opposing your government arming or joining sides, which only emboldens the combatants and costs more lives.
Or you can use Google to find the names of substantive charities and make a contribution, however small to help reduce the misery in one of these war zones, particularly those that reduce the misery of the children.
It is a matter of conscience for all of us who recognize the futility of war as our hearts go out to all of its many victims.
Dick
To learn more, please see "Gazans Heed Israel Warning, Flee Homes," The Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB20001424052702303984304580026702678616886?mod=yahoo_itp&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB20001424052702303984304580026702678616886.html%3Fmod%3Dyahoo_itp If you are not a Wall Street Journal subscriber, just Google the story.
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