WHO delivers its first medical aid to Gaza since March 2
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Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
Gaza's Nasser Hospital operating as ‘one massive trauma ward'
GENEVA: Nasser Hospital in Gaza is operating as 'one massive trauma ward' due to an influx of patients wounded at non-UN food distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the World Health Organization said on Friday. The US- and Israeli-backed GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of deliveries that the UN says is neither impartial nor neutral. It has repeatedly denied that incidents involving people killed or wounded at its sites have occurred. The GHF said on Friday that 'the most deadly attacks on aid sites have been linked to UN convoys,' and said the UN and humanitarian groups should work 'collaboratively' with the GHF to 'maximize the amount of aid being securely delivered into Gaza.' The UN in Geneva was immediately available for comment. Hundreds of patients, mainly young boys, were being treated for traumatic injuries, including bullet wounds to the head, chest, and knees, according to the WHO. Referring to medical staff at the Nasser Hospital, Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the West Bank and Gaza, told reporters in Geneva: 'They've seen already for weeks, daily injuries ... (the) majority coming from the so-called safe non-UN food distribution sites. The hospital is now operating as one massive trauma ward.' Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza on May 19. The UN human rights office said on Friday that it had recorded at least 613 killings, both at aid points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and near humanitarian convoys. 'We have recorded 613 killings, both at GHF points and near humanitarian convoys — this is a figure as of June 27. Since then ... there have been further incidents,' Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in Geneva. The OHCHR said 509 of the 613 were killed near GHF distribution points. The GHF dismissed these numbers as coming 'directly from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry' and were being used to 'falsely smear' its effort. The GHF has previously said it has delivered more than 60 million meals to hungry Palestinians in five weeks 'safely and without interference,' while other humanitarian groups had 'nearly all of their aid looted.' The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that there have been some instances of violent looting and attacks on aid truck drivers, which it described as unacceptable. Hundreds of patients, mainly young boys, were being treated for traumatic injuries, including bullet wounds to the head, chest, and knees, according to the WHO. Peeperkorn said health workers at Nasser Hospital and testimonies from family members and friends of those wounded confirmed that the victims had been trying to access aid at sites run by the GHF. Peeperkorn recounted the cases of a 13-year-old boy shot in the head, as well as a 21-year-old with a bullet lodged in his neck, which rendered him paraplegic. 'There is no chance for any reversal or any proper treatment. Young lives are being destroyed forever,' Peeperkorn said, urging for the fighting to stop and for more food aid to be allowed into Gaza.
Al Arabiya
17 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
WHO says Gaza's Al-Nasser Hospital ‘one massive trauma ward'
Al-Nasser Hospital in Gaza is operating as 'one massive trauma ward' due to an influx of patients wounded at non-United Nations food distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the World Health Organization said on Friday. The US-and Israeli-backed GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of deliveries that the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. It has repeatedly denied that incidents involving people killed or wounded at its sites have occurred. Referring to medical staff at Al-Nasser Hospital, Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the West Bank and Gaza, told reporters in Geneva: 'They've seen already for weeks, daily injuries ... (the) majority coming from the so-called safe non-UN food distribution sites. The hospital is now operating as one massive trauma ward.' Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza on May 19. The United Nations human rights office said on Friday that it had recorded at least 613 killings both at aid points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and near humanitarian convoys. 'We have recorded 613 killings, both at GHF points and near humanitarian convoys - this is a figure as of June 27. Since then ... there have been further incidents,' Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, told reporters in Geneva. The OHCHR said 509 of the 613 were killed near GHF distribution points. The GHF has previously said it has delivered more than 52 million meals to hungry Palestinians in five weeks 'safely and without interference,' while other humanitarian groups had 'nearly all of their aid looted.' The UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that there have been some instances of violent looting and attacks on aid truck drivers, which it described as unacceptable. Bullet wounds Hundreds of patients, mainly young boys, were being treated for traumatic injuries, including bullet wounds to the head, chest and knees, according to the WHO. Peeperkorn said health workers at Al-Nasser Hospital and testimonies from family members and friends of those wounded confirmed that the victims had been trying to access aid at sites run by the GHF. Peeperkorn recounted the cases of a 13-year-old boy shot in the head, as well as a 21-year-old with a bullet lodged in his neck which rendered him paraplegic. 'There is no chance for any reversal or any proper treatment. Young lives are being destroyed forever,' Peeperkorn said, urging for the fighting to stop and for more food aid to be allowed into Gaza. The war began when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, while displacing most of the population of more than 2 million, triggering widespread hunger and leaving much of the territory in ruins. US President Donald Trump said on Friday it would probably be known in 24 hours whether Hamas has agreed to accept what he has called a 'final proposal' for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Asharq Al-Awsat
18 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Sources to Asharq Al-Awsat: Hamas Likely to Accept Two-Month Gaza Truce Proposal
Hamas is leaning toward accepting a US-backed proposal for a two-month ceasefire in Gaza, with a formal response expected within hours, sources from the Palestinian group told Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday. The proposed truce, reportedly accepted by Israel earlier this week according to US President Donald Trump, would mark a major breakthrough in efforts to end the months-long war. Hamas has begun informing mediators that it intends to respond 'positively' either late Thursday or early Friday, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. They did not explain the reason for the delay but said 'technical arrangements' were still being finalized. One source described the situation as similar to the lead-up to a previous truce agreement reached in January. 'All indicators are positive,' one Hamas source said. 'We are closer than ever to a new agreement. The recent movements clearly show we are in the pre-announcement phase.' On Wednesday, Hamas leadership referred the proposal to other Palestinian factions for consultation, seeking to secure a united stance on any eventual deal. However, the deliberations were marked by caution, with one source warning of 'traps' in the draft proposal and noting that the clause related to a 'clear end to the war' remained vague. A source close to Hamas told Reuters on Thursday that the group was seeking 'guarantees that the American proposal will lead to a permanent end to the war,' as Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip continued to kill dozens, according to medics. Ceasefire negotiations over the war in Gaza have intensified, with the United States and other mediators pushing for a temporary deal that would pave the way for a second phase of talks aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement to end the 20-month-old conflict, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives. Despite diplomatic momentum, Israeli airstrikes continued across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing more than 100 Palestinians, including dozens waiting for humanitarian aid, according to local health authorities. The Hamas-run health ministry said at least 118 people were killed in Israeli attacks from dawn until late Thursday, with 581 others wounded. In a Facebook post, the ministry said hospitals in Gaza had received the bodies of 118 people in the past 24 hours. The Palestinian civil defense said its crews retrieved 10 bodies and several wounded after an Israeli strike hit the Mustafa Hafez School, which was sheltering displaced people in western Gaza City early Thursday.
