
Israeli forces accused of abducting Gaza's top field hospital chief
Israel's reported abduction of a senior Palestinian physician in southern Gaza has drawn sharp condemnation from Gaza's Health Ministry, local authorities, and Hamas, who describe the incident as part of a broader campaign targeting the medical sector amid the ongoing war.
On Monday, an Israeli special forces unit allegedly abducted Dr. Marwan al-Hams, the director of Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital and Gaza's top official overseeing field hospitals, while he was visiting a facility affiliated with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Rafah. According to Palestinian officials, the assault involved direct fire on an ambulance, resulting in multiple casualties, including journalist Tamer al-Za'anin.
The Government Media Office in Gaza called the incident a 'war crime' and 'a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.' It held Israel 'fully responsible' for Dr. al-Hams' safety and demanded an international response. 'This is a grave breach of the most basic legal norms,' it said in a statement, calling for the international community to clarify its stance and act to stop such violations.
Gaza's Ministry of Health issued a strongly worded statement denouncing the abduction, describing it as 'a dangerous precedent and direct assault on one of the leading humanitarian voices who conveyed the suffering of Gaza's starving children and untreated wounded to the world.' The ministry added, 'This cowardly act reflects a premeditated attempt to silence truth and conceal the suffering of an entire people enduring the worst health and humanitarian disaster.'
The ministry demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. al-Hams and reiterated that the Israeli military would be held accountable for his fate.
In a separate statement, the Hamas movement condemned what it called 'a deliberate attack' on Gaza's health sector, citing the abduction and the killing of civilians during the raid. The group accused Israel of waging 'a campaign of extermination targeting all aspects of life in Gaza' and demanded urgent international intervention.
Hamas urged the World Health Organization, the ICRC, and other global institutions to condemn the incident and exert pressure on Israel to release detained Palestinian medical workers.
Israel has not formally acknowledged detaining Dr. al-Hams. No official statement from the Israeli military or government has confirmed the abduction. However, the Israeli army has previously accused some Gaza medical personnel of cooperating with Hamas or using hospitals for militant activities — claims that have drawn widespread international scrutiny and criticism.
Since October 2023, the war in Gaza has devastated the health system. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 400 medical staff have been killed, and more than 300 others detained. Dozens of hospitals and clinics have been destroyed or rendered inoperable.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that the collapse of Gaza's health sector has left civilians with little access to food, medicine, or emergency care.
Dr. al-Hams, a physician and spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, had been a visible figure throughout the war, regularly reporting on shortages in hospitals and the humanitarian crisis facing patients and displaced families.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Shafaq News
12 hours ago
- Shafaq News
UK experts: ChatGPT may worsen psychosis
Shafaq News – London AI chatbots like ChatGPT could worsen psychosis in vulnerable users, UK mental health experts caution, as reliance on AI for emotional support surges. In a paper cited by The Telegraph, NHS psychiatrists and academic researchers warned that AI tools may trigger or intensify psychosis in vulnerable users by reinforcing delusions through uncritical engagement. The authors explained that individuals with early psychotic symptoms could misread chatbot replies as confirmation of distorted beliefs, with no clinical guardrails to intervene. The warning comes amid surging AI adoption, with ChatGPT alone downloaded over 900 million times, according to the report. The findings escalate the debate over AI in mental health, as supporters promote these tools for expanding access while critics demand strict oversight to prevent harm where artificial interaction risks substituting for clinical care.


Iraqi News
16 hours ago
- Iraqi News
Iraqis protest at Egyptian Embassy in Baghdad, demand Rafah crossing opening
Baghdad ( – Hundreds of Iraqis gathered last night, Saturday (July 26, 2025), in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Baghdad, protesting to demand that the Egyptian government open the Rafah crossing to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Among the demonstrators was Iraqi-British doctor Mohammed Taher, known for his humanitarian work in Gaza last year. Several other Iraqi activists involved in aiding the Palestinian people also participated in the protest, underscoring widespread public concern over the humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave. Ahmed Ali Al-Yasiri, one of the protestors interviewed by IraqiNews, expressed strong condemnation of the situation. 'We condemn the Egyptian government's actions of preventing aid from passing through the Rafah border entrance, and we call on our Egyptian brothers to act swiftly and let the aid into Gaza,' Al-Yasiri stated. These protests in Baghdad are not isolated. They reflect a global outcry, with demonstrations frequently taking place in numerous cities across the world, from London and New York to Amman and Jakarta. Activists and citizens worldwide are consistently urging their governments and international bodies to pressure for increased humanitarian access and an end to the crisis in Gaza, making the opening of border crossings like Rafah a central demand.


Shafaq News
16 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Iraq, Sanofi partner to boost healthcare
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraq's Ministry of Health signed a memorandum of understanding with French pharmaceutical company Sanofi on Sunday to expand medical training, combat counterfeit medicines, and modernize the country's healthcare system. Speaking at a forum on biosimilar medicines and intellectual property, Deputy Health Minister Hani Al-Oqabi framed the agreement as part of a broader strategy to engage global health institutions and apply international expertise in Iraq. 'The deal goes beyond pharmaceuticals,' he noted. 'It includes workforce development, nursing programs, and coordinated efforts to counter the spread of fake medicines.' Al-Oqabi highlighted Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani's push to attract foreign investment, particularly in pharmaceuticals, crediting the national program with recent advances in facility upgrades and workforce expansion. Rami Nassar, Head of Sanofi's Near East Pharmaceutical Unit and Director of its Jordan office, drew attention to the company's integration of artificial intelligence in research and development, with a focus on improving patient outcomes. He also outlined the 'Imkan' initiative, launched in Iraq in February, which introduced a structured approach to health system support—from training on health technology assessment to sharing case studies from nearby countries. 'We've completed two phases of the agreement and will begin the third in September, focusing on training for nurses and allied health professionals,' Nassar confirmed, adding that the final stage, planned for the end of the year, will center on health economics.