Truth, infamously, is the first casualty of war and that’s never more important to remember than after a major tragedy such as the reported strike on a Gaza hospital, with the death-toll estimate at about 500.
It isn’t just the scale and pain of the human loss that has shocked. The event also upended U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to the region, where he had been due to meet separately with Israeli and Arab leaders on containing the conflict and getting aid to civilians in Gaza.
That latter summit has now been canceled, and inevitably so. Such is the outrage on the Arab Street that no regional leader can afford to be seen negotiating today with Israel’s most important ally. And whereas European lawmakers have avoided attributing blame while condemning the attack, Egypt and Saudi Arabia immediately pointed to Israel.