For more information and context on the hospital strike, see this Instagram post by NewsHour journalist Nick Schifrin.
Teacher's note: Be sure to review all materials before showing to your class — the lead video for this lesson contains violent and disturbing imagery. For an alternate video, you can use this summary on Instagram from NewsHour reporter Nick Schifrin. Check in with students as to how they are feeling. Let them know you, school counselors and administrators are there for them and are available to talk.
This is our fifth lesson on the conflict. See our previous lessons here.
Watch video "Hundreds killed in strike on Gaza hospital as Israeli-Hamas war worsens" here.
Summary
A strike in Gaza hit a hospital Tuesday, killing hundreds. Palestinians and others say it was an Israeli bombing while the Israel Defense Forces say it was an errant missile fired by the militant group Islamic Jihad. The chaos comes ahead of President Biden's scheduled visit to Israel and amid evacuations from Israeli towns and cities along the border with Gaza.
If time is limited, you can watch up to the 8-minute mark to learn the latest from the war itself. Or from after the 8-minute mark to hear a discussion about the political and international response to the war.
News wrap alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
Warm-up questions
- What facts were known about the hospital strike in Gaza at the time the story ran?
- Who has been killed or injured by the hospital strike?
- How do different sides, Israeli government and Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza, justify killing civilians?
- Where did the strike take place?
- When did the current conflict start?
Focus question
Many of the headlines over the hospital bombing understandably focus on who is to blame for the strike. How do you think journalists should report on the strike, if they are not 100% sure where catastrophic strikes such as this originated. Is there a way to be 100% sure?
Media literacy activity
Israel has stated over the years that Hamas uses children as human shields to prevent attacks by Israeli Defense Forces. What evidence is presented that children are being used as human shields by Hamas in this story? Can you find news stories from the past where these tactics were used? How would you go about your research?
For more
What students can do:
Examine the sources below and choose one or two to view. Then complete the See, Think, Wonder questions: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you like to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?
Additional sources
U.S. media:
Live updates: What’s happening on Day 11 of the Israel-Hamas war (Associated Press via NewsHour)
Families of Americans kidnapped by Hamas describe anguish and what they want Biden to do (PBS NewsHour)
What is Hamas? What to know about its origins, leaders and funding (Council on Foreign Relations (Council on Foreign Relations)
Arab States ERUPT As US Force Looks MORE Likely (Breaking Points)
Gaza hospital explosion sparks anger and protests in Arab countries (CNN)
The Hamas Attacks and Israeli Response: An Explainer (Jewish Currents)
Palestinian media:
To stay or leave? Gazans in the north torn over which is safer (+927)
I’m still in Gaza City, huddling in the safest room with my family, praying (+927)
Israeli media:
Biden meets with Israeli officials amid Hamas rocket barrages (Jerusalem Post)
NewsHour story: "Murder of Palestinian American boy in Illinois shakes Arab and Muslim communities" (transcript here)
This week, right here in the United States, saw the brutal killing of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a six-year-old Palestinian American boy. Be sure to preview this piece, but this is a story your students have most likely come across. Often the question is why? Start with this question with your students — why did this happen? Often in these highly-sensitive cases that involve hate crimes, it's a good idea to have students write down their thoughts on paper or the computer and share with a partner or out loud with the class, so that all students who want to be heard are heard.
You may find that some of your older students want to dig in deeper into the role of public officials play in ratcheting up the rhetoric and influencing members of the public. This piece by TYT discusses discusses in more depth how hateful rhetoric by public figures, media personalities and elected officials has the ability influence others into committing heinous, hateful acts.
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