June 29, 2026 Editor, The News-Gazette: Mike Lowry’s recent column about Gaza omits critical facts.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli military actions have extended far beyond combatants, destroying essential civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, universities, and water plants — always with military excuse, but effectively making the restoration of civilian life impossible. Entire towns, such as Beit Hanoun (formerly home to 52,000 people), have been completely and purposefully bulldozed and leveled.
Furthermore, Israel is steadily expanding its territorial control, currently occupying roughly 70% of the Gaza Strip, up from 53% at the start of the October 2025 “ceasefire.” This expansion has forced Gaza’s population of two million — already living in one of the world’s most densely populated areas — to compress into just 30% of the territory. Since that ceasefire alone, direct IDF actions have killed approximately 1,000 Gazans, including 265 children.
While Mr. Lowry questions how many of the estimated 67,000 total fatalities were Hamas combatants, independent verification is blocked. The Israeli government refuses to investigate — including reports that some Israelis killed on Oct. 7 died from IDF fire — and bars independent investigators and aid organizations while severely restricting food and medical supplies. Notably, over 20,000 of the dead are children, accounting for roughly 30% of the casualties. I’m not sure what Mr. Lowry thinks about Gazan children.
Beyond debates over blame, history, or terminology, the immediate reality for two million Gazans is a manmade postapocalyptic humanitarian crisis. Families endure open sewage, a lack of clean water, and severe food and medical shortages. Children with chronic illnesses lack proper nutrition, amputees go without prostheses, and mothers must protect infants from rats in tents at night.
Whether we, in the U.S., share in the blame for any of this or not, we can help put a stop to these horrors. We must.
DR. RESCHEF AGAMSEGAL Lexington
