Latest news with #HaniMahmoud
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Health
- Al Jazeera
Death toll from starvation in Gaza rises to 115 as Israeli attacks continue
At least 62 people have been killed, including 19 who were seeking aid, in Israeli attacks across Gaza, hospital sources told Al Jazeera, and two people died from malnutrition amid growing international outrage over Israel's conduct in the war. Gaza's Health Ministry said on Thursday that at least 115 Palestinians have starved to death in the enclave since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023. Most of the deaths, which include many children, have been in recent weeks. Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza in March and has only allowed a trickle of aid into the territory since late May, triggering a dire humanitarian crisis and warnings of mass starvation. In a statement on Thursday, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned that 'families are breaking down' amid the hunger crisis. 'Parents are too hungry to care for their children,' agency head Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on X. 'Those who reach UNRWA clinics don't have the energy, food or means to follow medical advice'. The UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, added that Israel has been preventing it from verifying aid waiting at distribution centres. Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera's Hani Mahmoud said the situation was deteriorating, with Palestinians clamouring for any aid they can find. 'Enforced starvation, enforced dehydration, and hunger are gripping the Gaza Strip, with more people reported with malnutrition and a severe, acute shortage of food supplies and other basic necessities,' he said. 'According to what we hear from health sources, people's immune systems are falling apart. They're unable to fight the many diseases that are spreading because their bodies are unable to fight,' he said. With dire conditions on the ground largely unchanged, international condemnation has continued to grow. On Thursday, more than 60 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) demanded an emergency meeting to push actions against Israel in a letter sent to European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Lynn Boylan, an Irish member of the European Parliament, accused EU leaders of a double standard when it comes to Palestinian lives. 'Clearly, Palestinian lives are not seen by the elite in the EU as equivalent to, for example, Ukrainian lives,' Boylan told Al Jazeera. 'There's a chilling effect, that if you dare to speak up against Israel, if you dare to call out the war crimes that you're witnessing, there is immediately a backlash and an attack,' she said. Outrage among European leaders has also soared in recent days, with 28 countries earlier this week condemning the aid blockade, while calling for an immediate end to the fighting. On Thursday, the United Kingdom's government announced Prime Minister Keir Starmer would hold a call with his German and French counterparts, to 'discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need'. Breakdown in talks As the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to spiral, negotiations to end the war again broke down, with US envoy Steve Witkoff announcing that his team was leaving negotiations in Qatar early. That came shortly after Israel announced it was withdrawing its delegation from the talks. In a statement, Witkoff accused Hamas of showing 'a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire'. 'We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,' Witkoff said, without elaborating. Hamas, which has repeatedly accused Israel of blocking a ceasefire agreement, said it was surprised by Witkoff's remarks. 'The movement affirms its keenness to continue negotiations and engage in them in a manner that helps overcome obstacles and leads to a permanent ceasefire agreement,' said Hamas in a statement released late on Thursday. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has continued to push for a deal, while simultaneously supporting the displacement of Palestinians from the enclave to nearby countries, in what would potentially constitute ethnic cleansing. France to recognise Palestine Late on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced he would officially recognise the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Macron said the decision was 'in keeping with [France's] historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East'. The move will make France the largest and arguably most influential country in Europe to recognise a Palestinian state. The move was hailed by the deputy of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who said it showed France's 'commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state'. Israeli officials swiftly condemned the move, with Defence Minister Israel Katz calling it a 'disgrace and a surrender to terrorism'. 'We will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence, and undermine our historical right to the Land of Israel,' he said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Israel kills 41 in Gaza attacks, using ‘drone missiles packed with nails'
At least 41 Palestinians have been killed since dawn across Gaza in Israeli attacks, medical sources have told Al Jazeera, as the besieged and bombarded enclave's decimated health system, overwhelmed by a daily flow of wounded, is forcing doctors to make decisions on who to treat first. In the latest killings on Friday, three people died in an Israeli attack on the Tuffah neighbourhood of eastern Gaza City. Five people were also killed in an Israeli air attack in Jabalia an-Nazla, in northern Gaza. Earlier, an Israeli attack hit tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza – previously designated a so-called 'safe zone' – igniting a major fire and killing at least five people, including infants. Al-Mawasi has come under repeated, deadly Israeli fire. The death toll also includes includes 10 people who were desperately seeking aid. Al Jazeera's correspondent Hani Mahmoud said the injured, including children, were transferred to Nasser Hospital. Some showed wounds compatible with drone attacks. 'Drone missiles are packed with nails, metals and shrapnel that explodes at high speed, causing internal bleeding,' Mahmoud said. 'These attacks are on the rise and target people in large crowds, in markets or while queueing for water. 'While Israel claims to be using sophisticated weapons, when we look on the ground, we see the number of casualties contradicting what Israel is [saying],' he added. 'What should we do? Die at home?' Israel's ongoing, punishing blockade of Gaza is forcing doctors in crammed medical facilities to make difficult decisions about who to treat. Patients with chronic illnesses are often the first to miss out because emergency departments are overwhelmed by people wounded in Israeli attacks. 'Before the war, I used to receive dialysis three times a week, with each session lasting four hours. At that time, the situation was stable, the treatment was effective, and we would return home feeling well and rested,' Omda Dagmash, a dialysis patient, told Al Jazeera at the barely functioning al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. 'Now we can barely make the journey to the hospital, particularly since we are not eating well.' At al-Shifa, the dialysis schedule has been scaled down to shorter and less frequent sessions. For some, it is a matter of life and death. 'The journey here is long and costly,' said Rowaida Minyawi, an elderly patient. 'After all this exhaustion, we sometimes can't find treatment. I have heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Even the medicine we get is not good. What should we do? Die at home?' Besides prioritising patients, healthcare workers say they have to scale back operations to the minimum, as no fuel means no power – and no way to save lives. 'Only a few departments are working. We had to cut electricity to the rest,' said Ziad Abu Humaidan, from the hospital's engineering department. 'The hospital's yards turned into graveyards rather than a place of care and healing. Without electricity, there is no lighting, no functioning medical equipment, and no support for other essential services.'The Palestinian Ministry of Health said unprecedented numbers of starving people of all ages were arriving at emergency departments with extreme exhaustion and fatigue. It said hundreds were 'emaciated' and at risk of death due to malnutrition. Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said patients were 'suffering from stress and memory loss resulting from severe hunger.' Waning support in Israel for war According to a public opinion survey conducted by the Israeli news outlet Maariv, about 44 percent of the Israeli public said the continued war in Gaza will not achieve the country's goals. A total of 42 percent of those surveyed said they believe the fighting will lead to achieving the goals, while 11 percent of the respondents said they are undecided. Maariv also noted that of those who support the current coalition government, 73 percent think the military will achieve its goals, while 70 percent of opposition supporters think otherwise. In the meantime, Israel faced a rare backlash after it bombed Gaza's only Catholic church, killing three people and wounding at least 10 on Thursday. United States President Donald Trump contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after having 'not a positive reaction' to the strike, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. After the call, Netanyahu attributed the strike to 'stray ammunition' and added that Israel was investigating the incident. Netanyahu called Pope Leo on Friday, the Vatican said. During the call, the pontiff renewed his appeal for a ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza, and expressed his concern over the 'dramatic' humanitarian situation in the enclave, a Vatican statement said. Leo also stressed the urgent need to protect places of worship, the faithful, and all people in the Palestinian territories and Israel, the statement added. Hamas slammed the attack as 'a new crime committed against places of worship and innocent displaced persons' that comes in the context of a 'war of extermination against the Palestinian people'. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III entered Gaza on Friday to express the 'shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land,' read a statement released by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The patriarchs and their delegation visited the Holy Family Catholic Church, the site of the Israeli attack.
Times of Oman
6 days ago
- Health
- Times of Oman
Israeli strikes kill at least 30 in Gaza as hospitals struggle under blockade
Gaza City: At least 30 Palestinians have been killed since dawn in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip, medical sources told Al Jazeera, as the enclave's collapsing health system struggles to cope with the rising number of wounded amid ongoing Israeli bombardment. According to Al Jazeera, three people were killed in the Tuffah neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City on Friday, while five others died in an air strike on Jabalia an-Nazla in northern Gaza. In another incident, an Israeli strike targeted tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza - a zone previously labelled a "safe area" - killing at least five people, including infants, and sparking a major fire. Al Jazeera reported that al-Mawasi has come under repeated attacks despite its designation. The toll also includes seven Palestinians who were seeking aid when they were killed, according to the network. Al Jazeera's correspondent Hani Mahmoud reported that wounded victims, including children, were taken to Nasser Hospital, some bearing injuries consistent with drone attacks. "Drone missiles are packed with nails, metals and shrapnel that explodes at high speed, causing internal bleeding," Mahmoud said. "These attacks are on the rise and target people in large crowds, in markets or while queueing for water." "While Israel claims to be using sophisticated weapons, when we look on the ground, we see the number of casualties contradicting what Israel is [saying]," he added, Al Jazeera reported. Doctors in Gaza, overwhelmed by daily casualties, are being forced to prioritise emergency cases, often leaving out chronically ill patients. Al Jazeera quoted dialysis patient Omda Dagmash at al-Shifa Hospital as saying, "Before the war, I used to receive dialysis three times a week, with each session lasting four hours. At that time, the situation was stable, the treatment was effective, and we would return home feeling well and rested." "Now we can barely make the journey to the hospital, particularly since we are not eating well," Dagmash said. Rowaida Minyawi, another patient at al-Shifa, described the dire situation: "The journey here is long and costly. After all this exhaustion, we sometimes can't find treatment. I have heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Even the medicine we get is not good. What should we do? Die at home?" Fuel shortages have forced hospitals to reduce services drastically. "Only a few departments are working. We had to cut electricity to the rest," said Ziad Abu Humaidan from the hospital's engineering department, according to Al Jazeera. "The hospital's yards turned into graveyards rather than a place of care and healing. Without electricity, there is no lighting, no functioning medical equipment, and no support for other essential services." Meanwhile, according to a survey published by Israeli outlet Maariv, 44 percent of Israeli respondents said the ongoing war in Gaza will not achieve Israel's goals, while 42 percent said it would. The survey showed a split along political lines, with 73 percent of coalition government supporters expressing confidence in military success, compared to 70 percent of opposition supporters who disagreed. Separately, Al Jazeera reported that Israel faced backlash after bombing Gaza's only Catholic church on Thursday, killing three people and injuring at least 10. United States President Donald Trump reportedly contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after having "not a positive reaction" to the strike, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Following the call, Netanyahu said the strike was the result of "stray ammunition" and that an investigation was underway. Hamas condemned the incident, calling it "a new crime committed against places of worship and innocent displaced persons" and part of what it described as a "war of extermination against the Palestinian people."
Al Jazeera
6 days ago
- Health
- Al Jazeera
Israel kills 35 in Gaza attacks, using ‘drone missiles packed with nails'
At least 35 Palestinians have been killed since dawn across Gaza in Israeli attacks, medical sources have told Al Jazeera, as the besieged and bombarded enclave's decimated health system, overwhelmed by a daily flow of wounded, is forcing doctors to make decisions on who to treat first. In the latest killings on Friday, three people died in an Israeli attack on the Tuffah neighbourhood of eastern Gaza City. Five people were also killed in an Israeli air attack in Jabalia an-Nazla, in northern Gaza. Earlier, an Israeli attack hit tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza – previously designated a so-called 'safe zone' – igniting a major fire and killing at least five people, including infants. Al-Mawasi has come under repeated, deadly Israeli fire. The death toll also includes includes 10 people who were desperately seeking aid. Al Jazeera's correspondent Hani Mahmoud said the injured, including children, were transferred to Nasser Hospital. Some showed wounds compatible with drone attacks. 'Drone missiles are packed with nails, metals and shrapnel that explodes at high speed, causing internal bleeding,' Mahmoud said. 'These attacks are on the rise and target people in large crowds, in markets or while queueing for water. 'While Israel claims to be using sophisticated weapons, when we look on the ground, we see the number of casualties contradicting what Israel is [saying],' he added. 'What should we do? Die at home?' Israel's ongoing, punishing blockade of Gaza is forcing doctors in crammed medical facilities to make difficult decisions about who to treat. Patients with chronic illnesses are often the first to miss out because emergency departments are overwhelmed by people wounded in Israeli attacks. 'Before the war, I used to receive dialysis three times a week, with each session lasting four hours. At that time, the situation was stable, the treatment was effective, and we would return home feeling well and rested,' Omda Dagmash, a dialysis patient, told Al Jazeera at the barely functioning al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. 'Now we can barely make the journey to the hospital, particularly since we are not eating well.' At al-Shifa, the dialysis schedule has been scaled down to shorter and less frequent sessions. For some, it is a matter of life and death. 'The journey here is long and costly,' said Rowaida Minyawi, an elderly patient. 'After all this exhaustion, we sometimes can't find treatment. I have heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Even the medicine we get is not good. What should we do? Die at home?' Besides prioritising patients, healthcare workers say they have to scale back operations to the minimum, as no fuel means no power – and no way to save lives. 'Only a few departments are working. We had to cut electricity to the rest,' said Ziad Abu Humaidan, from the hospital's engineering department. 'The hospital's yards turned into graveyards rather than a place of care and healing. Without electricity, there is no lighting, no functioning medical equipment, and no support for other essential services.' The Palestinian Ministry of Health said unprecedented numbers of starving people of all ages were arriving at emergency departments with extreme exhaustion and fatigue. It said hundreds were 'emaciated' and at risk of death due to malnutrition. Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said patients were 'suffering from stress and memory loss resulting from severe hunger.' Waning support in Israel for war According to a public opinion survey conducted by the Israeli news outlet Maariv, about 44 percent of the Israeli public said the continued war in Gaza will not achieve the country's goals. A total of 42 percent of those surveyed said they believe the fighting will lead to achieving the goals, while 11 percent of the respondents said they are undecided. Maariv also noted that of those who support the current coalition government, 73 percent think the military will achieve its goals, while 70 percent of opposition supporters think otherwise. In the meantime, Israel faced a rare backlash after it bombed Gaza's only Catholic church, killing three people and wounding at least 10 on Thursday. United States President Donald Trump contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after having 'not a positive reaction' to the strike, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. After the call, Netanyahu attributed the strike to 'stray ammunition' and added that Israel was investigating the incident. Netanyahu called Pope Leo on Friday, the Vatican said. During the call, the pontiff renewed his appeal for a ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza, and expressed his concern over the 'dramatic' humanitarian situation in the enclave, a Vatican statement said. Leo also stressed the urgent need to protect places of worship, the faithful, and all people in the Palestinian territories and Israel, the statement added. Hamas slammed the attack as 'a new crime committed against places of worship and innocent displaced persons' that comes in the context of a 'war of extermination against the Palestinian people'. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III entered Gaza on Friday to express the 'shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land,' read a statement released by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The patriarchs and their delegation visited the Holy Family Catholic Church, the site of the Israeli attack.
Al Jazeera
7 days ago
- Health
- Al Jazeera
Israel kills 18 in attacks, using ‘drone missiles packed with nails'
At least 18 Palestinians have been killed since dawn across Gaza in Israeli attacks, medical sources have told Al Jazeera, as the besieged and bombarded enclave's decimated health system, overwhelmed by a daily flow of wounded, is forcing doctors to make decisions on who to treat first. In the latest killings Friday, three people died in an Israeli attack on the Tuffah neighbourhood of eastern Gaza City. Five people were also killed in an Israeli air attack in Jabalia al-Nazla, in northern Gaza. Earlier, an Israeli attack hit tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza – previously designed a so-called 'safe zone' – igniting a major fire and killing at least five people, including infants. Al-Mawasi has come under repeated and deadly Israeli fire. Al Jazeera's correspondent Hani Mahmoud said the injured, including children, were transferred to the Nasser Medical Complex. Some showed wounds compatible with drone attacks. 'Drone missiles are packed with nails, metals and shrapnel that explodes at high speed, causing internal bleeding,' Mahmoud said. 'These attacks are on the rise and target people in large crowds, in markets or while queueing for water.' 'While Israel claims to be using sophisticated weapons, when we look on the ground we see the number of casualties contradicting what Israel is [saying],' he added. 'What should we do? Die at home?' Israel's ongoing punishing blockade of Gaza is forcing doctors in crammed medical facilities to make difficult decisions about who to treat. Patients with chronic illnesses are often the first to miss out because emergency departments are overwhelmed by people wounded in Israeli attacks. 'Before the war, I used to receive dialysis three times a week, with each session lasting four hours. At that time, the situation was stable, the treatment was effective, and we would return home feeling well and rested,' Omda Dagmash, a dialysis patient, told Al Jazeera at the barely functioning al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. 'Now we can barely make the journey to the hospital particularly that we are not eating well.' At al-Shifa, the dialysis schedule has been scaled down to shorter and less frequent sessions. For some, it is matter of life and death. 'The journey here is long and costly,' said Rowaida Minyawi, an elderly patient. 'After all this exhaustion, we sometimes can't find treatment. I have heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Even the medicine we get is not good. What should we do? Die at home?' Besides prioritising patients, healthcare workers say they also have to scale back operations to the minimum as no fuel means no power — and no way to save lives. 'Only a few departments are working. We had to cut electricity to the rest,' said Ziad Abu Humaidan, from the hospital's engineering department. 'The hospital's yards turned into graveyards rather than a place of care and healing. Without electricity, there is no lighting, no functioning medical equipment, and no support for other essential services.' Waning support in Israel for war According to a public opinion survey conducted by the Israeli news outlet Maariv, about 44 percent of the Israeli public said the continued war in Gaza will not achieve the country's goals. A total of 42 percent of those surveyed said they believe the fighting will lead to achieving the goals, while 11 percent of the respondent said they are undecided. Maariv also noted that of those who support the current coalition government, 73 percent think the military will achieve its goals, while 70 percent of opposition supporters think otherwise. In the meantime, Israel faced rare backlash on Thursday after it bombed Gaza's only Catholic church, killing three people and wounding at least 10 others. United States President Donald Trump contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after having 'not a positive reaction' to the strike, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. After the call, Netanyahu attributed the strike to 'stray ammunition' and added that Israel was investigating the incident. Hamas slammed the attack as 'a new crime committed against places of worship and innocent displaced persons' that comes in the context of a 'war of extermination against the Palestinian people.'
