Sanctuary under Fire: The Selective Outcry
CASE A: The RSF Strike in Sudan On February 5, 2026, a hospital in Al-Kiwek, South Kordofan, was reportedly struck by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resulting in 22 fatalities, including patients and medical staff. The New Arab describes the RSF as a 'militia,' highlighting the non-state, or at least irregularly recognized, nature of the attacking force. Coverage tends to focus on the immediate
tragedy and the internal conflict in Sudan, often lamenting the chaos without dissecting the underlying geopolitical interests at play. The implied narrative is one of barbaric, internecine conflict. CASE B: The IDF Strikes on Gazan Hospitals Compare this to the sustained targeting of hospitals in Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during various conflicts. For instance, in late 2023 and
early 2024, the Israeli military conducted operations in and around numerous medical facilities, including Al-Shifa and Nasser Hospitals. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented over 400 attacks on healthcare in Gaza in 2023 alone (OCHA, 2023). These actions, which humanitarian organizations like Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières)
explicitly condemned as violations of international law, often elicit a different framing in Western media. Instead of outright condemnation of attacks on hospitals, a common narrative emerges: the facilities are alleged to be used by Hamas for military purposes, or the IDF actions are portrayed as 'self-defense' against a 'terrorist organization.' The exact language used varies, but phrases like