Communist MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash-Ta’al) was forcefully removed on Wednesday, April 3, from the Knesset floor after accused Israeli occupation soldiers in Gaza of attacking hospitals. Two weeks ago, Hadash-Ta’al parliamentary faction chair, MK Ayman Odeh, was also forcefully removed from the Knesset floor after saying that what the occupation army does in Gaza is a massacre.
MK Ofer Cassif forcefully removed from the Knesset floor, Wednesday, April 3, 2024 (Footage: Knesset Channel)
According to Cassif, “soldiers are going into hospitals and attacking. As the forces leave the hospital, the difficult testimonies, the pictures of the ruin and destruction, and the horrific stories of the survivors begin to come out,” and he said the deadly army operation at the Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip is a “war crime.” Cassif started his speech from the podium by quoting World Health Organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, following a recent second Israeli raid on the hospital.
The Israeli army announced Monday its withdrawal from the Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City after a two-week military operation, leaving behind immense destruction and dozens of bodies. “Hospitals should never become battlefields. Protecting young children, patients, medical staff, and all citizens must be a top priority,” said Cassif.
Several lawmakers from the ruling far-right coalition then approached the platform and interrupted Cassif’s speech and demanded the chair of the session, stop him from speaking. But Cassif continued to talk. “Before the invasion, thousands of Palestinians, displaced and refugees, sought refuge at the hospital to escape the horrors of war, but the terror of war crimes chased them inside the hospital’s protected gates,” he said.
Right-wing lawmakers failed Feb. 19 to oust Cassif for his support for a South African lawsuit at the International Court of Justice that accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza. At that time, 85 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset supported a proposal submitted by right-wing members to oust Cassif, but it did not receive the necessary majority of 90 votes.
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=31698
