The conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate, with civilians paying the heaviest price.
The causes of that violence arise outside global health, but the aftershocks will damage efforts to address global health problems, writes David P. Fidler. He examines how the attacks’ scale and brutality “reverberate far from the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip,” and shift attention away from other foreign policy priorities—attention that was already limited by the Ukraine conflict and ongoing U.S.-China tensions.
Our next author reports on the toll the Israel-Hamas war is taking on the already-strained health system in the Gaza Strip. This week, the World Health Organization described Gaza hospitals as being at the “breaking point”—and that was before the blast at al-Ahli Arab Hospital.
Turning to a different part of the world, our final piece explores the Philippines’ complicated relationship with alcohol. Asia Pacific Alcohol Policy Alliance Secretary Gianna Gayle Amul explains that many Filipinos view drinking as a part of their heritage, a gift to be given at baptisms, weddings, and wakes. Consumption is widespread and high, as is the health toll among the non-Muslim population. Local alcohol companies have deep connections with the government and that relationship only intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, progress remains possible, the author writes.
As always, thank you for reading.—Thomas J. Bollyky, Editor
