The "unintended" consequences of the war between Israel and Hamas

The latest victims of the 11 days of violence and horror in Gaza include a man who spent his working career saving lives, and nearly all of his family. They were the "unintended" civilian victims of an Israeli attack on a Hamas bunker beneath a block of flats. Once the bunker and foundations had been demolished, the four storeys above collapsed into each other killing everyone inside. They included Dr Ayman Abu al-Ouf, head of internal medicine at the nearby Palestinian main hospital, along with 12 members of his extended family. They included his wife and two children. If anything should persuade the Israeli cabinet to call a halt to the bombing it should be the untimely and tragic death of Dr al-Ouf, a man who was said to have dedicated every working hour to try and save the lives of the many wounded civilians caught up in the military confrontation between Israel and Hamas. Apologies and regrets for the unfortunate death of Dr al-Ouf and his family are meaningless unless their passing in such horrific circumstances leads to an end of the slaughter. Also killed on the same day was Dr Mouin al-Aloul, Gaza's top neurologist. Two doctors with unrivalled experience in their fields. If the Israelis were right and the underground bunker beneath the block of flats where Dr al-Ouf lived was a Hamas command bunker, then Hamas must take the blame for hiding beneath a civilian block of flats, endangering the lives of everyone living above them. But how could the Israeli military planners imagine that by targeting the bunker the rest of the building would not also be destroyed, thus killing civilians, something which Israel has insisted it is doing its best to avoid. Like all wars, it's a war of unintended consequences, each of which has a devastating and lasting impact on people's lives.