Nearly 1000 AUB doctors and administrative, academic and hospital staff gathered outside the American University of Beirut Medical Center at 2pm on July 31, to express outrage at the continued killing of civilians, especially children, during the ongoing Israeli onslaught against Lebanon. The sit-in came one day after the horrific death of more than 25 children and an equal number of adults when an Israeli air strike hit their bomb shelter in Qana, southern Lebanon.

AUB, as all public institutions and almost all businesses, was closed down on July 31, a day of national mourning, as declared by the Lebanese Cabinet a day earlier. Only hospital and essential administrative staff had reported to work. Nevertheless, the sit-in attracted an impressive number of people.

"We are gathered here today in this spontaneous sit-in to support the displaced families in their plight and condemn the successive massacres of innocent people, especially children, women and the elderly, carried out by the Israeli army over the past three weeks," said Dr. Nadim Cortas, vice-president for medical affairs and dean of the medical school. Over the past three weeks, more than 600 people have been killed and more than 2,000 injured.

"To face this atrocious tragedy, AUB has created a volunteer relief team, composed of doctors, nurses, professors and medical students, which has been visiting centers for the displaced. The AUBMC has also made its clinics, emergency unit, and hospital available to all who need them among war casualties."