Latest news with #Israeli-militarized
Scoop
6 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Gaza: UNICEF Mourns Seven Children Killed Queuing For Water
14 July 2025 The incident occurred in central Gaza on Sunday, according to media reports, which said that four other people also lost their lives due to the Israeli airstrike. The Israeli military said it had been targeting a terrorist but a 'technical error' saw the munition stray off course. Uphold protection of children UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell noted that the incident came just days after several women and children were killed while lining up for nutritional supplies. ' The Israeli authorities must urgently review the rules of engagement and ensure full compliance with international humanitarian law, notably the protection of civilians, including children,' she wrote in a statement posted on X. The UN has repeatedly deplored the killing of Palestinians seeking food aid amid the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where food security experts have warned that the entire population, some 2.1 million people, is not getting enough to eat. The risk of famine remains, according to UNICEF. In June, more than 5,800 children were diagnosed with malnutrition, including more than 1,000 children with severe acute malnutrition, representing an increase for the fourth consecutive month. Stockpiles of food available Meanwhile, 'truckloads of food and medical supplies are waiting in warehouses' just outside the enclave, UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA said in a tweet. It included a quote from one of its health workers who said that 'in the past, I only saw such cases of malnutrition in textbooks and documentaries. Today, I am treating them face to face in the health centre.' UNRWA appealed for starvation of civilians to stop and for the siege to be lifted. ' Let the UN, including UNRWA, do its lifesaving work,' the tweet said. The small quantities of aid and critical supplies that have entered Gaza so far are nowhere near enough to meet the immense needs, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said later on Monday. It called for Israel to allow the urgent entry of aid at scale through all possible routes and corridors. Healthcare under attack OCHA said health teams continue to suffer some of the worst impacts of the hostilities, with the Ministry of Health reporting on Sunday that another doctor had been killed over the previous 24 hours. Although the health system has been decimated and is on the brink of collapse, hospitals continue to respond to mass casualty incidents as much as they can. The Israeli authorities have continued to issue displacement orders amid the ongoing hostilities and destruction, the agency added. On Friday, a displacement order was put out for the Rimal area of Gaza city where some 70,000 people were staying at a dozen displacement sites. Today, more than 86 per cent of Gaza's territory is either under displacement orders or located within the Israeli-militarized zone. West Bank annexation 'well underway' Separately, UNRWA also highlighted the situation of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank against the backdrop of the war in Gaza. Agency chief Philippe Lazzarini told an international conference in Switzerland on Monday that 'annexation is well underway.' UNRWA said 'this is not just destruction: it is part of systematic forced displacement, a violation of international law, and a form of collective punishment.' In January, Israeli forces launched operations in Tulkarm and Jenin in the West Bank, which UNRWA has previously said are the most extensive in two decades. Humanitarians reported last week that the operations are causing massive destruction and displacement while attacks by Israeli settlers have intensified. The high levels of violence continue, with OCHA reporting that two Palestinian men, one of whom was a US national, were killed near Ramallah on Friday during a settler attack. Overall, more than 700 settler attacks have been recorded in the West Bank during the first half of this year. Over 200 communities have been affected, primarily in Ramallah, Nablus and Hebron governorates.
Gulf Today
08-07-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
Doctors alarmed at rising meningitis cases in Gaza's children
In a ward of Nasser hospital in southern Gaza a woman is comforting her crying, 16-month-old granddaughter, one of those affected by what aid workers say is a surge of meningitis cases among the Palestinian territory's children. "Sham's temperature suddenly spiked and she became stiff," said the grandmother, Umm Yasmin. "We couldn't find a car to carry her ... She was about to die." The World Health Organization and medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières warn that conditions in Gaza after 21 months of war between Israel and Hamas have increased the risks of meningitis spreading, though they lack clear comparative data to measure the severity of recent outbreaks. "There's been a rise in meningitis cases in children," said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. "We are very concerned." Typically, there is a seasonal increase in viral meningitis cases in Gaza between June and August, but the WHO is investigating the role of additional factors such as poor sanitation, limited access to healthcare, and disruption of routine vaccinations. A child is loaded into an ambulance at Al-Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis. AFP Those hospitals still operating are overwhelmed, with beds full and severe shortages of vital antibiotics. "There is no space in the hospitals," Dr Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, deputy medical coordinator for MSF in Gaza. "There is no space to isolate." Airborne and life-threatening bacterial meningitis can spread in overcrowded tents, according to the WHO. Viral meningitis, though less serious, often spreads through the fecal-oral route, meaning it can easily spread in shelters with poor sanitation, the WHO says. Sham's temperature suddenly spiked and she became stiff. We couldn't find a car to carry her... She was about to die. Share Umm Yasmin, grandmother At the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, Dr Ahmad al-Farra, head of the Paediatrics and Maternity Department, reported nearly 40 cases of newly admitted viral and bacterial meningitis in the last week. In Gaza City to the north, the Paediatrics Department at the Rantisi Children's Hospital has recorded hundreds of cases in recent weeks, according to a report published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Abu Mughaisib said a lack of lab tests and blood cultures that can help identify the bacteria causing infections was hampering diagnoses. Nearly all Gaza's population of more than 2 million has been displaced by the war, which began in October 2023 when Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Palestinian children sit at the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis. AFP Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health authorities, triggered a hunger crisis, and left much of the territory in ruins. More than 80% of Gaza is now an Israeli-militarized zone or subject to displacement orders, according to the United Nations. Umm Yasmin said her daughter had contracted meningitis for the second time since being displaced. "The tents that we live in ... animals cannot live in them," she said. Doctors warn that vitamin deficiencies and weakened immunity- resulting from limited access to fresh vegetables and protein-are increasing children's vulnerability. The destruction of the sewage system and dirty water caused meningitis to spread, said Nasser hospital's Farra. On May 19, Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza, but assistance since then has been limited. Supplies have been channelled through a controversial U.S.-and Israeli-backed group, bypassing the UN-led system. The WHO has called for more antibiotics to be allowed into the enclave to treat patients. Reuters
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Doctors alarmed at rising meningitis cases in Gaza's children
Geneva/Gaza: In a ward of Nasser hospital in southern Gaza a woman is comforting her crying, 16-month-old granddaughter, one of those affected by what aid workers say is a surge of meningitis cases among the Palestinian territory's children. "Sham's temperature suddenly spiked and she became stiff," said the grandmother, Umm Yasmin. "We couldn't find a car to carry her ... She was about to die." The World Health Organization and medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres warn that conditions in Gaza after 21 months of war between Israel and Hamas have increased the risks of meningitis spreading, though they lack clear comparative data to measure the severity of recent outbreaks. "There's been a rise in meningitis cases in children," said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. "We are very concerned." Typically, there is a seasonal increase in viral meningitis cases in Gaza between June and August, but the WHO is investigating the role of additional factors such as poor sanitation, limited access to healthcare, and disruption of routine vaccinations. Those hospitals still operating are overwhelmed, with beds full and severe shortages of vital antibiotics. "There is no space in the hospitals," Dr Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, deputy medical coordinator for MSF in Gaza. "There is no space to isolate." Airborne and life-threatening bacterial meningitis can spread in overcrowded tents, according to the WHO. Viral meningitis, though less serious, often spreads through the fecal-oral route, meaning it can easily spread in shelters with poor sanitation, the WHO says. At the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, Dr Ahmad al-Farra, head of the Paediatrics and Maternity Department, reported nearly 40 cases of newly admitted viral and bacterial meningitis in the last week. In Gaza City to the north, the Paediatrics Department at the Rantisi Children's Hospital has recorded hundreds of cases in recent weeks, according to a report published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Abu Mughaisib said a lack of lab tests and blood cultures that can help identify the bacteria causing infections was hampering diagnoses. DISPLACEMENT Nearly all Gaza's population of more than 2 million has been displaced by the war, which began in October 2023 when Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health authorities, triggered a hunger crisis, and left much of the territory in ruins. More than 80% of Gaza is now an Israeli-militarized zone or subject to displacement orders, according to the United Nations. Umm Yasmin said her daughter had contracted meningitis for the second time since being displaced. "The tents that we live in ... animals cannot live in them," she said. Doctors warn that vitamin deficiencies and weakened immunity- resulting from limited access to fresh vegetables and protein-are increasing children's vulnerability. The destruction of the sewage system and dirty water caused meningitis to spread, said Nasser hospital's Farra. On May 19, Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza, but assistance since then has been limited. Supplies have been channelled through a controversial U.S.-and Israeli-backed group, bypassing the U.N.-led system. The WHO has called for more antibiotics to be allowed into the enclave to treat patients.
Scoop
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Chief ‘Appalled' By Worsening Gaza Crisis As Civilians Face Displacement, Aid Blockades
3 July 2025 Multiple attacks in recent days have killed and injured scores of Palestinians at sites hosting displaced people and others attempting to access essential supplies, according to a statementfrom UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on Thursday. 'The Secretary-General strongly condemns the loss of civilian life,' Mr. Dujarric said. On just one day this week, nearly 30,000 people were forced to flee under new Israeli relocation orders, with no safe place to go and clearly inadequate supplies of shelter, food, medicine or water, he added. Critical systems shutting down With no fuel having entered Gaza in over 17 weeks, the UN chief is also 'gravely concerned that the last lifelines for survival are being cut off.' 'Without an urgent influx of fuel, incubators will shut down, ambulances will be unable to reach the injured and sick, and water cannot be purified,' Mr. Dujarric said. 'The delivery by the United Nations and partners of what little of our lifesaving humanitarian aid is left in Gaza will also grind to a halt.' The Secretary-General reiterated his call for safe and sustained humanitarian access so aid can reach people in desperate need. 'The UN has a clear and proven plan, rooted in the humanitarian principles, to get vital assistance to civilians – safely and at scale, wherever they are,' Mr. Dujarric said. The Secretary-General reiterated his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. He reminded all parties that international humanitarian law must be upheld. Displacement continues Displacement remains relentless. On Wednesday, Israeli authorities issued a new evacuation order in parts of Gaza City, affecting some 40,000 people and including a displacement site, a medical point and one of the few neighbourhoods that had remained untouched by such orders since before the March ceasefire. Since that ceasefire collapsed, over 50 such orders have been issued, now covering 78 per cent of Gaza's territory. 'Add the Israeli-militarized zones and that percentage jumps to 85 – leaving just 15 per cent where civilians can actually stay,' Mr. Dujarric said, briefing reporters at the UN Headquarters, in New York. Those areas are overcrowded and severely lacking in services or proper infrastructure. 'Imagine having just over two million people in Manhattan – which is actually slightly bigger – but instead of buildings, the area is strewn with the rubble of demolished and bombed-out structures, without infrastructure or basic support,' the UN Spokesperson said. 'And in Gaza, these remaining areas are also fragmented and unsafe.'
Channel 4
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Channel 4
Gaza: At least 80 killed in strikes as Israel warns people to evacuate north
The latest assault by Israel on Gaza has seen at least 80 people killed in airstrikes as Israel stepped up its military campaign in one of the most lethal 24-hour periods since the ceasefire ended in March. Israel had warned people to evacuate areas in North Gaza, Gaza City and Deir el-Balah. They were urged to head south but 80 per cent of the strip is now an Israeli-militarized zone or under evacuation orders with new orders in place now for Khan Younis and Rafah. At least 20 people were killed this afternoon in an Israeli strike on a beachfront Al-Baqa Cafe in Gaza City. Warning: this report contains disturbing images
