Pope Francis's popemobile to become health clinic for Gaza children
The vehicle, which was used by the late pontiff during his 2014 visit to the Middle East, is being outfitted with diagnostic and emergency medical equipment.
He entrusted the initiative to Catholic aid organisation Caritas Jerusalem in the months before his death.
READ MORE: Large convoy of Belgian army vehicles spotted near Scottish town
"This is a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when the health system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed," Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, said.
"It's not just a vehicle," Brune added. "It's a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza."
It comes as Israel has approved plans to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the territory for an unspecified amount of time.
Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in mid-March, Israel has unleashed fierce strikes on the territory that have killed hundreds. It has captured swathes of territory and now controls roughly 50% of Gaza.
Before the truce ended, Israel halted all humanitarian aid into Gaza, including food, fuel and water, setting off what is believed to the be the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly 19 months of war.
Israel's brutal war on Gaza has killed more than 52,000 people, many of them women and children.
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Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Gaza latest: Israel to pause fighting to let aid into Gaza as UN warns 'children are wasting away'
Nearly 100 killed seeking aid in Gaza yesterday, health ministry says Close to 100 people were killed while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the enclave. It comes as Israel announced a "one-week scale-up of aid" and declared military operations in three areas of Gaza would be halted for 10 hours daily until further notice to support this. The ministry said 67 people were killed in northern Gaza and six others in Khan Younis in the south. The Israel Defence Forces said that troops "fired warning shots in order to remove an immediate threat posed to them" after "a gathering of thousands of Gazans was identified in the northern Gaza Strip". "The IDF is aware of the claim regarding casualties in the area, and the details of the incident are still being examined," it added, without disclosing casualty figures. Crowd attacked by 'Israeli tanks and snipers' The UN's World Food Programme said a 25-truck convoy carrying food crossed the Zikim border yesterday morning aiming to reach communities in northern Gaza. It said the convoy encountered "large crowds of civilians anxiously waiting to access desperately needed food supplies". "As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire". There were further reports of Israeli attacks in other areas of Gaza not covered by the military pauses. The IDF issued a warning to residents in northern Gaza, including the cities of Beit Lahia and Jabalia, calling the areas "active combat zones and extremely dangerous". Israel begins 'scale-up of aid' in Gaza - but UN chiefs warn more needed to stop famine The United Nations says it welcomes Israel's decision to support a one-week scale-up of aid in Gaza but warned more action is needed to "stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis". UN aid chief Tom Fletcher made the remarks as Israel said it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and allow aid corridors to "refute the false claim of intentional starvation". Jordan, the UAE and Egypt said they delivered aid into Gaza by land and air - with Jordan and the UAE saying "25 tonnes of food aid and essential humanitarian supplies" were delivered by aid airdrops. It comes at a critical time. Fletcher welcomed the up-scale of aid but said one in three people in Gaza "hasn't eaten for days" and "children are wasting away". "This is progress, but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis," he said. Other aid agencies made similar comments. Medecins Sans Frontieres said the pause in fighting and aid drop is "not enough" and there should be a distribution list "so that everybody knows that they're going to receive their own parcel". Unicef said the aid boost was an "opportunity to reverse this catastrophe" but said more humanitarian corridors needed to be opened to allow aid trucks through. Welcome back to our live coverage Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Gaza. Over the weekend, Israel announced an agreement to support a "one-week scale-up of aid" for the enclave following sustained and growing international condemnation that it is responsible for starvation there. In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces said it would establish secure routes to help the UN and aid agencies deliver food and other supplies, while aid airdrops have also resumed. But the United Nations has warned more action is needed to "stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis". To facilitate the scale-up of aid, the IDF said military operations in three areas would be halted daily from 10am to 8pm local time (8am to 6pm UK time) until further notice. But despite this, Israel later carried out an airstrike during the pause. It also warned that "intense force" was still being used in some areas of Gaza, including in Jabalia and Beit Lahia. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said at least 73 people were killed and around 150 people injured by Israeli gunfire while seeking aid yesterday. Elsewhere, US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Sir Keir Starmer today, where Gaza is expected to be a focus during their talks in Scotland. Downing Street said the PM will raise "what more can be done to secure the ceasefire" in the Middle East during the meeting at the US president's Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire. As always, stay with us as we bring you the latest news on Gaza. That's all for now We're pausing our live coverage. We'll be back with any further developments, but in the meantime here's a quick summary of today's key points: Israel announced a 10-hour pause in three parts of Gaza to allow more aid into the devastated territory; The UN's aid chief said teams will distribute as much aid as they can during the pause, which will be repeated each day "until further notice"; Fighting continues in other parts, with medics reporting at least 16 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since last night; Meanwhile, a UK minister told Sky News it's a "matter of time" until the government recognises Palestinian statehood - but it must be part of a "pathway to peace"; And Bob Geldof told us he thinks Israel is lying about starvation in Gaza. Gazans react to pauses in fighting Gazans have reacted to news of pauses in fighting in some areas of Gaza to allow for new aid corridors into the enclave with relief. "People are happy that large amounts of food aid will come into Gaza," Tamer Al-Burai, a business owner, told Reuters. "We hope today marks a first step in ending this war that burned everything up." However, some said they were concerned about how aid will be delivered and whether it will reach people seafely. "Aid should enter in a logical way. When aid is airdropped, it causes injuries and damage," displaced Gaza resident Suhaib Mohammed said. Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid ship sailed by activists An aid ship headed for Gaza was intercepted by the Israeli military late last night. According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition - which last month tried to reach the territory with a crew including activist Greta Thunberg - Israel detained 21 people on board. The coalition operating the vessel Handala said the Israeli military "violently intercepted" the ship in international waters, about 40 miles from Gaza, just before midnight. "All cargo was non-military, civilian and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation and medical collapse under Israel's illegal blockade," the group said. The Israeli military has not commented. The foreign ministry said the navy stopped the vessel and was bringing it to shore. Regional human rights group Adalah said the raid violated international law, and demanded the release of the 21 activists. "The flotilla never entered Israeli territorial waters, nor was it intended to do so; it was headed toward the territorial waters of the State of Palestine, as recognised under international law," Adalah said. UN aid chief welcomes pause in Gaza The UN's aid chief has just shared a few words on social media, reacting to Israel's announcement this morning. A pause took effect this morning - lasting for 10 hours in three parts of Gaza - to allow more aid in. Tom Fletcher said UN teams will step up efforts to feed Palestinians during the pause, which will repeat each day until further notice. "In contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window," he said. Baby died of starvation weighing less than when she was born Warning: some of the details and images in this post may be distressing The latest child to starve to death in Gaza died weighing less than the day she was born. Zainab abu Habib was just five months old as her mother, Esraa abu Habib, gave her one last kiss yesterday. She was brought into the paediatric department at Nasser Hospital on Friday, already dead. A worker at the morgue carefully removed her Mickey Mouse-printed shirt. His thumb was wider than her ankle and he could see the bones on her chest. The girl weighed more than 3kg at birth, her mother said, but after what a doctor described as "severe, severe starvation", her weight was less than 2kg at the end. Her father, Ahmed abu Habib, said she needed a special baby formula that "did not exist in Gaza", as he prepared for her funeral in the southern city of Khan Younis. The head of the paediatric department, Dr Ahmed al Farah, said the baby needed a special type of formula for allergies to cow's milk. With none of the formula she needed, Zainab developed chronic diarrhoea and vomiting, he said, and she wasn't able to swallow. 'Many will follow' Like many of Gaza's Palestinians, the baby's displaced family lives in a tent. Esraa said she breastfed the girl for six weeks before trying to feed her formula. "With my daughter's death, many will follow," she added. "Their names are on a list that no one looks at. They are just names and numbers... our children, whom we carried for nine months and then gave birth to, have become just numbers." Israel's denial Zainab is one of dozens of children reported by Gaza's health ministry to have died of malnutrition-related causes. Israel, as we've been reporting, has paused the fighting in certain parts of Gaza to allow more aid in, following widespread criticism over its access to the territory - see our 8.02 post for more on that. Its foreign ministry, however, denies any starvation. It said last Saturday: "Israel rejects the false accusations of 'starvation' propaganda initiated by Hamas which manipulates pictures of children suffering from terminal diseases. It is shameful." In pictures: Palestinians gather to collect aid These are some of the latest pictures from Gaza today, showing crowds gather for aid in the north. Trucks have also lined up at the southern border in Egypt. Recognising Palestine as a state is a 'matter of time', says UK minister A UK minister has told Sky News the government is "unequivocal" in its commitment to recognise Palestine as a state. James Murray, the exchequer secretary to the Treasury, said it's a "matter of time". But that has to be part of a "pathway to peace", he said, as the prime minister comes under pressure to recognise Palestinian statehood. Murray told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: "We are fully committed to recognition of Palestine. That's unequivocal. The prime minister has made that absolutely clear. "It's not a question of if, what we now need to focus on is how do we make Palestinian statehood a reality."
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Israel pauses military action, opens aid lines amid Gaza crisis
"A third of the population (in Gaza) is not eating for days," the World Food Programme, led by Cindy McCain, said in a statement on X. "Some 470,000 people are enduring famine-like conditions. 90,000 women and children need urgent nutrition treatment. People are dying due to a lack of humanitarian assistance." More than 125 people have died due to malnutrition, including 85 children, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said over the weekend. A five-month-old baby, Zainab Abu Haleeb, died of malnutrition at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on July 26. In recent weeks, more than 800 people have been killed while trying to reach food, according to the United Nations, mostly in shootings by Israeli soldiers posted near controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution centers. Israeli officials have said they've allowed enough food into Gaza since war broke out in October 2023 after Hamas attacked Israel, blaming the terrorist group for suffering in a region of 2.2 million people. Meanwhile, ceasefire talks have stalled, with no permanent end to the fighting in sight. Here's what to know about the growing humanitarian crisis. What's going on in Gaza? Beginning July 27, Israel will pause military action in a humanitarian area along the coast of Gaza for 10 hours at a time, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time, each day. The military said designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Tom Fletcher, aid chief for the United Nations, called the move a "welcome announcement" in a post on X. "In contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window," Fletcher wrote. What do human rights groups say? The U.N.'s World Food Program also welcomed the news, saying in a statement, "we hope these measures will allow for a surge in urgently needed food assistance to reach hungry people without further delays." Israel's move comes after 111 groups signed a joint statement calling for governments to take action, as mass starvation spread and restrictions on humanitarian aid prevented resources from reaching Palestinians in Gaza. "The Government of Israel's restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death," the groups, made up of mostly aid and human rights organizations, wrote. Why was aid restricted before? Hunger in Gaza escalated after Israel cut off supplies in March. Israel had said it was committed to allowing in aid - but needed to control it to prevent it from being diverted by Hamas. The country also accused the U.N. of failing to act in a timely fashion, saying 700 truckloads of aid were idling inside Gaza. "Responsibility for food distribution to the population in Gaza lies with the UN and international aid organizations," the Israeli military said in a July 26 statement. "Therefore, the UN and international organizations are expected to improve the effectiveness of aid distribution and to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas." An internal U.S. government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas of U.S.-funded humanitarian supplies, Reuters reported last week. Where are ceasefire talks? President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on July 25 to abandon ceasefire negotiations, saying it was clear Hamas did not want a deal. "I think they want to die," Trump said of the militants. "And it's very bad. And it got to be to a point where you're going to have to finish the job." Humanitarian groups have urged Israel to reach a deal, saying the only real solution to the suffering in Gaza is a complete end to the fighting. "An agreed ceasefire is the only way for humanitarian assistance to reach the entire civilian population in Gaza with critical food supplies in a consistent, predictable, orderly and safe manner," the U.N. World Food Program said in their statement. Contributing: Reuters
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman, 48, dies suddenly in Alicante airport on her way back from 'best holiday'
Angela McTier, 48, from Lanarkshire, was heading to Alicante airport in a taxi to fly home after a break in La Mata in south east Spain when she was suddenly taken ill A Scottish grandmother tragically passed away at a Spanish airport whilst returning from her holiday. Angela McTier, from Blantyre in Lanarkshire, was travelling to Alicante airport in a taxi when she suffered a burst varicose vein, resulting in severe blood loss. The 48 year old made it to the airport but collapsed in the departure lounge. Sadly, despite emergency treatment, she passed away at the scene on Tuesday July 22. Her daughter, Michelle Hilston, told STV that her mum had been working to get healthier so she could see her granddaughters grow up. The 24 year old said: "My mum watched the grandkids at least two nights every week and always looked forward to them coming over. I'm heartbroken for my two girls who have just lost that special relationship with her. If there's one thing my mum loved, it was going on holiday, she thrived over there and this particular holiday to La Mata she just kept saying how amazing it was, it was her best holiday and she'd felt so well and couldn't wait to bring the grandkids over. "She was due to go away with me and my two toddlers next month as well." Michelle disclosed that her mum provided crucial help when she was studying for a midwifery degree. She sent her mum a video of her 11-month-old granddaughter taking her first steps, reports the Daily Record. Michelle added: "She helped me out so much to pursue my dream degree after having my kids and always made sure I had all the childcare and financial support I needed. Her holidays were a special thing for her, she went multiple times a year, and it was one of the things she loved doing the most. "But the thing she loved the most was her granddaughters and would ask for pictures of them multiple times a day. The day she died, I had sent her a video of my 11-month-old finally walking, and she was in tears over the video, phoning everyone to tell them, and I'm glad that's the last video she saw of the kids." A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Spain." A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist with the expenses of bringing Angela home and covering her funeral costs. You can donate to the fundriser by clicking here.
