Alice Rothchild, MD

from Portside, Patrick Chappatte

Fool Me Twice: The Case for War With Iran Is Even Thinner Than It Was for Iraq The Trump admin can't seem to settle on a reason for war with Iran. That hasn't stopped them from planning a war without a "why."

Fool Me Twice: The Case for War With Iran Is Even Thinner Than It Was for Iraq
The case for invading Iraq was based on lies. The Trump administration’s case for war with Iran hardly exists at all.

theintercept.com/202...

Trump’s Iran Attack Was Illegal, Former U.S. Military Officials Allege “This is an introduction of U.S. forces into hostilities. It absolutely triggers the 48-hour notice requirement.”

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S order to launch a coordinated U.S.-Israeli strike against Iran ran afoul of international and domestic law, according to military and legal experts including the former legal chief at U.S. Central Command, which carried out the attacks.

bit.ly/4da1sMi

Gaza: rethinking and decolonizing mental health responses in humanitarian emergencies Longstanding armed conflicts generate distinctive psychological wounds, transforming collective bonds and reconfiguring individuals’ perceptions of identity, security, and trust, enduring. The occu...

International Review of Psychiatry: “Drawing on liberation psychology, decolonial mental health, and human rights approaches, this article reframes Palestinian distress as a rational response to systemic violence, displacement, and precarity…"

bit.ly/4cqq6bp

Medical education in Gaza: navigating disruption during the 2023–2025 Israeli military assault and beyond Before October 2023, Gaza’s medical education, offered by Al-Azhar University and the Islamic University, enrolled around 2500 students and played a vital role in training local physicians despite ...

Key strategies for recovery include “expanding online programs, offering diverse training opportunities, creating safe learning environments, and supporting mental health” as well as “recognizing Gazan medical students’ frontline volunteering.

Medical education in Gaza: navigating disruption during the 2023–2025 Israeli military assault and beyond Before October 2023, Gaza’s medical education, offered by Al-Azhar University and the Islamic University, enrolled around 2500 students and played a vital role in training local physicians despite ...

"Education has been further disrupted by power outages, internet restrictions, unsafe travel and harsh living conditions.”

Medical education in Gaza: navigating disruption during the 2023–2025 Israeli military assault and beyond Before October 2023, Gaza’s medical education, offered by Al-Azhar University and the Islamic University, enrolled around 2500 students and played a vital role in training local physicians despite ...

“Medical schools and hospitals have been damaged, destroyed, or militarized, while students and faculty have faced displacement, resources scarcity, and severe psychological distress."

Medical education in Gaza: navigating disruption during the 2023–2025 Israeli military assault and beyond Before October 2023, Gaza’s medical education, offered by Al-Azhar University and the Islamic University, enrolled around 2500 students and played a vital role in training local physicians despite ...

Medicine, Conflict, and Survival: This review describes the state of medical education in Gaza before 10/7/23, examines the ways in which it has been disrupted and damaged since, and outlines strategies for recovery.

bit.ly/3OPZhDS

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

Women’s Health: This mixed methods study examined how Israel’s war on Gaza has impacted adolescent girls’ and young women’s basic needs and health outcomes.

bit.ly/4uu7jTh

Once a Bipartisan Stalwart, AIPAC Turns ‘Toxic’ in the Illinois Primaries

www.nytimes.com/2026...

From enumeration to inference: what the Gaza Mortality Survey reveals—and misses—about counting deaths in the Gaza Strip In areas of armed conflict, estimates of mortality do more than simply tally the death toll. These estimates can shape the scale and structure of humanitarian responses and serve as mechanisms for doc...

The Lancet Global Health: In a commentary accompanying the above article, Aldabbour and Irfan highlight the value of the mortality estimates produced by the Gaza Mortality Survey

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Regime Change, Missile Destruction and an Existential War Visit the post for more.

ejmagnier.com/2026/02/28/r...

Iran Attacked by the US and Israel When Peace Was Within Reach US and Iranian negotiators met in Geneva earlier this week in what mediators described as the most serious and constructive talks in years. Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, spoke publicly of “...

Other background resources:
www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/27/i...

No War with Iran: A JVP Statement - JVP A JVP statement.

Here is JVP national’s statement on opposing the war.

www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/2026/02/28/i...

Briefing launch: The risks of Palantir in the NHS - Medact Calendar Join us for a webinar launch of our report on the risks of Palantir in the NHS and how you can resist its encroachment into our health system and the UK state.

Wondering why a surveillance company used by the Israeli military and ICE is taking over health care? I signed up to learn more, will you?

www.medact.org/event...

Please join us for:
Health Under Siege

With: Dr. Zeena Salman

Sunday January 11 2026 at 10 AM Pacific/1 PM Eastern

bit.ly/3MIp3cu

Urgent health update: Peer reviewed literature on the consequences of the war on Gaza and the West Bank/East Jerusalem - February 28, 2026 — JVP Health Advisory Council Friends, in our never-ending attempts to deal with the length of our health reports, we are alternating the full health report every other week, with the report on journal publications in the intervening weeks. But of course, the US and Israel just attacked Iran and we must focus on that first.

We must join forces to stop this military fiasco now.

Urgent health update: Peer reviewed literature on the consequences of the war on Gaza and the West Bank/East Jerusalem - February 28, 2026 — JVP Health Advisory Council Friends, in our never-ending attempts to deal with the length of our health reports, we are alternating the full health report every other week, with the report on journal publications in the intervening weeks. But of course, the US and Israel just attacked Iran and we must focus on that first.

The Iranian population, already suffering from severe sanctions and a repressive regime, will suffer more health harms from these attacks. This military assault will destabilize the entire area and will not lead to a positive future for Palestinians, Israelis, or others in the region.

Urgent health update: Peer reviewed literature on the consequences of the war on Gaza and the West Bank/East Jerusalem - February 28, 2026 — JVP Health Advisory Council Friends, in our never-ending attempts to deal with the length of our health reports, we are alternating the full health report every other week, with the report on journal publications in the intervening weeks. But of course, the US and Israel just attacked Iran and we must focus on that first.

As health care workers, we understand clearly that imperialist wars of aggression historically have led to large numbers of civilians injured and killed, the destruction of civilian infrastructure including health care institutions, and the poisoning of the environment with toxic military detritus.

Urgent health update: Peer reviewed literature on the consequences of the war on Gaza and the West Bank/East Jerusalem - February 28, 2026 — JVP Health Advisory Council Friends, in our never-ending attempts to deal with the length of our health reports, we are alternating the full health report every other week, with the report on journal publications in the intervening weeks. But of course, the US and Israel just attacked Iran and we must focus on that first.

The JVP Health Advisory Council strongly condemns the illegal war launched by Israel and the United States against Iran.

bit.ly/475wZeE

States Move to Limit Access to H.I.V. Treatment Citing rising costs and shortfalls in federal support, about 20 states are toughening eligibility requirements for patients in drug assistance programs.

States Move to Limit Access to H.I.V. Treatment

nyti.ms/4aLCp0J

Florida bill seeks to ban use of ‘West Bank’ in schools and state agencies The bill would mandate use of the biblical term ‘Judea and Samaria’ after a similar effort passed in Arkansas

In further erasures of Palestinian existence, it will soon be illegal in Florida public schools and in any government documents to use the term “West Bank.” This part of occupied Palestine will only be referred to as “Judea and Samaria.”

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

from Chris Hedges, Going to War, Again, for Israel
Blood brothers.

Pope Leo rejects Trump invitation to join Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ The Vatican flatly rejected a U.S. invitation to join the Trump-led “Board of Peace” for Gaza. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem previously described the project as “a colonialist operation” focused on “others deciding for the Palestinians.”

The Vatican flatly rejected a U.S. invitation to join the Trump-led "Board of Peace" for Gaza. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem previously described the project as "a colonialist operation" focused on "others deciding for the Palestinians.”

mondoweiss.net/2026/...

USC, Navy program appears linked to specific Israeli brigade that massacred paramedics, photo shows A photo shared with Annenberg Media shows two people wearing hoodies advertising the Navy’s “Joint Training Exercise” with the Israeli military.

Almost one year ago, the Israeli military said that particular brigade was involved in the massacre and subsequent mass burial of 15 unarmed Palestinian paramedics, one of whom was a staffer for the United Nations.

USC, Navy program appears linked to specific Israeli brigade that massacred paramedics, photo shows A photo shared with Annenberg Media shows two people wearing hoodies advertising the Navy’s “Joint Training Exercise” with the Israeli military.

People who appear to be part of the Israeli military’s Golani Brigade were seen walking through Los Angeles General Medical Center, amid ongoing reporting by Annenberg Media about a program where USC trains Israeli military medical personnel using cadavers.

bit.ly/4ub7nai

Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ aims to turn Gaza into a playground for investors A sweeping investment and reconstruction plan to transform Gaza’s ruins into a playground for investors was unveiled at the first meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Washington, D.C., this week. Here’s what you need to know.

-appointed technocratic transitional government, still based in Cairo

- previous Israeli proposals to reduce Gaza’s Palestinian population through what officials have termed “voluntary migration” after having “concentrated” them in so-called “humanitarian cities.”

Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ aims to turn Gaza into a playground for investors A sweeping investment and reconstruction plan to transform Gaza’s ruins into a playground for investors was unveiled at the first meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Washington, D.C., this week. Here’s what you need to know.

-barred entry for “dual use” items including wide diameter steel tent poles

-severe lack of housing, food, medicine, controlled by Israeli military unit, COGAT

-minimal crossing in or out at Rafah checkpoint, controlled by Israel

Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ aims to turn Gaza into a playground for investors A sweeping investment and reconstruction plan to transform Gaza’s ruins into a playground for investors was unveiled at the first meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Washington, D.C., this week. Here’s what you need to know.

-identity and roles for International Stabilization Force unclear

-60 million tons of war debris

-almost total destruction of civilian infrastructure including waste management

-600 Palestinians killed since “ceasefire”

-armed anti-Hamas militants versus armed Hamas forces

bit.ly/3ZWvPhO

Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ aims to turn Gaza into a playground for investors A sweeping investment and reconstruction plan to transform Gaza’s ruins into a playground for investors was unveiled at the first meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Washington, D.C., this week. Here’s what you need to know.

Review of Trump’s grandiose so-called “Board of Peace” and his futuristic Mediterranean metropolis open for investors versus the reality for Palestinians which includes:

-cost of rebuilding is more than $50 billion

nyti.ms/4tX7i9R