A makeshift underground hospital set up in the northern Israeli city of Haifa is said to be well-equipped to deal with a potential influx of patients should the situation between Israel and Lebanon continue to spiral out of control.
As tensions have flared in recent weeks with the Israeli military carrying out an extensive air campaign in Lebanon, the city of Haifa has also been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones launched from the Lebanese side by Hezbollah.
During a visit to Haifa on Wednesday, a reporter from China Central Television (CCTV) stopped by the makeshift medical facility which has been established on the site of the Rambam Medical Center.
The center excavated this bunker after the Israel-Hezbollah war of 2006, and while it usually serves as a multi-storey car park, it has now been converted into what officials say is the largest underground field hospital in the world.
According to the hospital's director, the facility, which is located 16 meters below sea level, houses nearly 2,000 beds while its walls are thick enough to withstand various rocket and missile attacks.
It is also fully equipped with all the necessary facilities for a completely functioning ward, including a sufficient power supply for all instruments, oxygen tanks, and other essential equipment, as well as emergency buttons.
Just a few days ago, the hospital saw almost all of its beds occupied due to the escalation of the situation, when several local hospitals, lacking adequate security measures, transferred many patients here to receive medical attention. Those patients have now been sent back to their original hospitals for further treatment.
The well-equipped hospital shows Israel's efficient medical preparedness for war, starkly contrasting with the dire situation seen in the Gaza Strip, according to the CCTV reporter.
About 70 percent of the small to medium-sized medical clinics in Gaza are currently at a standstill, while more than half of the larger medical facilities are not operational. Only a few hospitals are able to continue functioning with the tenuous support of international relief organizations, the reporter said.
Since October last year, Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been exchanging fire along the Lebanese-Israeli border, stoking fears of a wider conflict as the war between Hamas and Israel continues in Gaza.
Makeshift hospital in Israel's Haifa "well-equipped" to handle potential patients: reporter
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Friday underscored the importance of people-to-people diplomacy in enhancing relations between different countries, while attending the China International Friendship Conference and conference marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) in Beijing.
In his speech, Han noted President Xi Jinping had a group meeting with foreign guests attending the conference earlier this day.
President Xi elaborated on the unique role of people-to-people diplomacy under the new circumstances, and expounded China's position on deepening people-to-people friendship with other countries to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, according to Han.
The vice president praised CPAFFC's fruitful work over the past seven decades, saying people-to-people diplomacy becomes even more important with a more prominent position and broader stage under the new circumstances.
He pledged consistent support from the Chinese government for the CPAFFC in promoting exchanges, practical cooperation and youth friendship among countries.
Han also put forward a four-point proposal: first, strengthen solidarity and friendship and actively implement the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind; second, pursue mutual benefit and win-win results to promote common development and prosperity; third, deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges to enhance mutual learning among civilizations and people-to-people ties; and fourth, take a long-term perspective to boost the friendship of people from different countries.
China is ready to work with other countries to foster deeper people-to-people friendship, make unremitting efforts toward the lofty goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and create a better future for mankind, said Han.
Other figures who attended the conference and made speeches include former Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, former Tanzanian Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda, former speaker of the New Zealand Parliament David Carter, former Thai Deputy Prime Minister Korn Dabbaransi, Bruneian Princess Hajah Masna, and Ali Yousuf Al-Shareef, chairman of the Association of Arab-Chinese Friendship Societies.
Themed "Enhancing people-to-people friendship and building a community with a shared future for mankind", the conference was attended by about 500 people, including the heads of friendship organizations and international friends of China as well as Chinese representatives.
Chinese VP stresses importance of people-to-people diplomacy in int'l relations
