Latest news with #MarwanAlHams
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Rising number of doctors among hundreds of medical staff detained in Gaza, say rights groups
Twenty-eight doctors from Gaza are being held inside Israeli prisons, eight of whom are senior consultants in surgery, orthopaedics, intensive care, cardiology and paediatrics, according to data from Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW), a Palestinian medical organisation. Twenty-one of those detained have been held for more than 400 days. HWW said none had been charged with any crimes by the Israeli authorities. Three healthcare workers have been detained since the start of July. On Monday, the Gaza Health Ministry said an Israeli undercover force detained Dr Marwan al-Hams, head of Abu Youssef al-Najjar hospital in Rafah, outside the field hospital of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip. His whereabouts are unknown, and the Israeli authorities have yet to publish a statement on his detention. On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that two of its workers were taken into detention from a facility sheltering staff and their families in Dier al-Balah; one remains in Israeli custody. According to the WHO, Israel has arrested and detained more than 300 healthcare workers since the the war between Hamas and Israel began in October 2023. HWW puts this figure higher, at over 400. Muath Alser, director of HWW, said: 'Many of the health workers were arrested at their work sites, and they remain held for months – often without communication, being denied medical care when needed, and suffering from terrible detention conditions. We urge people in power to pressure Israel to release those health workers still under unlawful detention.' Overwhelmed hospitals are already struggling to function, while increasing hunger among medical staff in Gaza has left many too weak to provide urgent medical care to malnourished and injured civilians, doctors have told the Guardian and the Arabic Reporters for Investigative Journalism. In February, the Guardian published detailed accounts from senior Palestinian doctors held and then released from Israeli detention who reported being tortured, beaten and humiliated during their time in prison. Those still being held by the Israeli authorities include Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, who has been detained at Israel's Ofer prison since December 2024. Earlier this week his lawyer told Sky News his health was deteriorating and that he was being beaten and tortured. In a statement to the Guardian, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused medical staff in Gaza, including doctors, of involvement in Hamas terror activity. It did not provide any evidence to substantiate the claim. 'In the context of IDF activity in combat zones, individuals suspected of involvement in terror activity are arrested and investigated. Those found not to be involved in terror activity are released. 'A regrettable outcome of Hamas' exploitation of hospitals is the involvement of medical staff, including doctors, directly in Hamas' terror activity. Put plainly, the IDF is not interested in medical staff vis a vis their roles as medical professionals, but due to their potential involvement in Hamas terror,' said the statement. Two senior doctors are known to have died in Israeli detention: Dr Iyad al-Rantisi, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Kamal Adwan hospital, died at Shikma prison; Dr Adnan al-Bursh, head of the orthopaedic department at al-Shifa hospital, died shortly after being transferred to Ofer prison in April 2024. Former detainees claim he died from torture and had suffered severe sexual violence in the hours before his death. Their bodies have not yet been returned to their families. The detention of medical staff from Gaza in Israeli prisons has been condemned by the WHO and the UN who have called for their immediate release. Reports of torture, violence and psychological abuse of healthcare workers while in detention have been verified by the UN and published in reports by organisations such as HWW, Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights Israel.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Rising number of doctors among hundreds of medical staff detained in Gaza, say rights groups
Twenty-eight doctors from Gaza are being held inside Israeli prisons, eight of whom are senior consultants in surgery, orthopaedics, intensive care, cardiology and paediatrics, according to data from Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW), a Palestinian medical organisation. Twenty-one of those detained have been held for more than 400 days. HWW said none had been charged with any crimes by the Israeli authorities. Three healthcare workers have been detained since the start of July. On Monday, the Gaza Health Ministry said an Israeli undercover force detained Dr Marwan al-Hams, head of Abu Youssef al-Najjar hospital in Rafah, outside the field hospital of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip. His whereabouts are unknown, and the Israeli authorities have yet to publish a statement on his detention. On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that two of its workers were taken into detention from a facility sheltering staff and their families in Dier al-Balah; one remains in Israeli custody. According to the WHO, Israel has arrested and detained more than 300 healthcare workers since the the war between Hamas and Israel began in October 2023. HWW puts this figure higher, at over 400. Muath Alser, director of HWW, said: 'Many of the health workers were arrested at their work sites, and they remain held for months – often without communication, being denied medical care when needed, and suffering from terrible detention conditions. We urge people in power to pressure Israel to release those health workers still under unlawful detention.' Overwhelmed hospitals are already struggling to function, while increasing hunger among medical staff in Gaza has left many too weak to provide urgent medical care to malnourished and injured civilians, doctors have told the Guardian and the Arabic Reporters for Investigative Journalism. In February, the Guardian published detailed accounts from senior Palestinian doctors held and then released from Israeli detention who reported being tortured, beaten and humiliated during their time in prison. Those still being held by the Israeli authorities include Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, who has been detained at Israel's Ofer prison since December 2024. Earlier this week his lawyer told Sky News his health was deteriorating and that he was being beaten and tortured. In a statement to the Guardian, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused medical staff in Gaza, including doctors, of involvement in Hamas terror activity. It did not provide any evidence to substantiate the claim. 'In the context of IDF activity in combat zones, individuals suspected of involvement in terror activity are arrested and investigated. Those found not to be involved in terror activity are released. 'A regrettable outcome of Hamas' exploitation of hospitals is the involvement of medical staff, including doctors, directly in Hamas' terror activity. Put plainly, the IDF is not interested in medical staff vis a vis their roles as medical professionals, but due to their potential involvement in Hamas terror,' said the statement. Two senior doctors are known to have died in Israeli detention: Dr Iyad al-Rantisi, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Kamal Adwan hospital, died at Shikma prison; Dr Adnan al-Bursh, head of the orthopaedic department at al-Shifa hospital, died shortly after being transferred to Ofer prison in April 2024. Former detainees claim he died from torture and had suffered severe sexual violence in the hours before his death. Their bodies have not yet been returned to their families. The detention of medical staff from Gaza in Israeli prisons has been condemned by the WHO and the UN who have called for their immediate release. Reports of torture, violence and psychological abuse of healthcare workers while in detention have been verified by the UN and published in reports by organisations such as HWW, Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights Israel.
BreakingNews.ie
22-07-2025
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Meath based surgeon feels guilty eating while family have nothing in Gaza
"There is no break in the heartache," said an Irish-based orthopaedic surgeon who now feels guilty eating while his family in Gaza struggle to find food. Dr Mahmoud Abumarzouq was hit with the news that his friend and former neighbour in Gaza, senior Gaza Health Ministry official Marwan Al-Hams had been allegedly 'abducted' by an Israeli undercover force, according to Reuters reports. Advertisement It's reported that Al-Hams, who was in charge of field hospitals in the southern Gaza strip was on his way to visit the ICRC hospital in the city of Rafah when an Israeli force 'abducted' him after opening fire, killing one person and wounding another civilian nearby. Dr Mahmoud who is based at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan, Co. Meath said he knew Al-Hams and described him as a 'great person and surgeon who worked voluntarily as an NGO for the greater good for humanity." Dr Mahmoud has already lost six family members in the war in Gaza and said his baby niece, who survived an air strike is being breast fed by her aunt who gave birth to a baby of her own around the same time as she was born. His sister Seham was seriously injured in the attack is recovering but she lost four of her children, including the mother of the baby Yaqout. Advertisement "There is no break to this heartache. My parents, who are in their 70s, have to keep moving because there are bombs all around them, but there is nowhere to go. "My wife's sister and her husband rang last night and feared they wouldn't see the morning. They thought their tent might be bombed and if they fled, they might be shot at. They got through the night but their tent is now destroyed. I would say they are homeless on the streets - but there are no streets anymore. "No-one has food and if they have, they give it to the children and fill themselves up with water. "The baby Yaqout is being breast fed by her aunt who had a baby of her own at the same time. But she is not getting enough to eat herself to provide the breast milk for the babies." Advertisement Dr Mahmoud said he was trying to send as much money as he could to his family but there isn't a lot of food to buy and people are falling all the time with exhaustion and hunger. "One egg cost €15. Can you imagine that? But there are no eggs anymore. My family is surviving on out-of-date Dahl but even that is running out. "My brother-in-law has shrapnel in his leg and is on any and every kind of antibiotic he can find. "My mam doesn't talk anymore. Calls last one minute because she has nothing to say other than they need food and they need this war to end. "Every night my family and I sit down to eat and feel guilty because we have everything to eat and they have nothing. It feels like we are on a different planet."
Free Malaysia Today
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Israeli undercover force detains senior Gaza health official
Israel has raided and attacked hospitals across the Gaza Strip, accusing Hamas of using them for military purposes. (EPA Images pic) CAIRO : An Israeli undercover force detained Marwan Al-Hams, a senior Gaza health ministry official, outside the field hospital of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday, the health ministry said. Hams, in charge of field hospitals in the enclave, was on his way to visit the ICRC field hospital in northern Rafah when an Israeli force 'abducted' him after opening fire, killing one person and wounding another civilian nearby, according to the ministry. Medics said the person killed was a local journalist who was filming an interview with Hams when the incident happened. The Israeli military and the Red Cross did not immediately respond following separate requests by Reuters for comment. Israel has raided and attacked hospitals across the Gaza Strip during the 21-month war in Gaza, accusing Hamas of using them for military purposes, an accusation the group denies. But sending undercover forces to carry out arrests has been rare.
Al Arabiya
21-07-2025
- Al Arabiya
Israeli undercover force detains senior Gaza health official, ministry says
An Israeli undercover force detained Marwan al-Hams, a senior Gaza Health Ministry official, outside the field hospital of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday, the health ministry said. For the latest updates on the Israel-Palestine conflict, visit our dedicated page. Hams, in charge of field hospitals in the enclave, was on his way to visit the ICRC field hospital in northern Rafah when an Israeli force 'abducted' him after opening fire, killing one person and wounding another civilian nearby, according to the ministry. Medics said the person killed was a local journalist who was filming an interview with Hams when the incident happened. An ICRC spokesperson said the ICRC hospital had admitted and treated patients injured in the incident but would not comment further on their status in order to protect their privacy. It said it was 'very concerned about safety and security' around the field hospital. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel has raided and attacked hospitals across the Gaza Strip during the 21-month war in Gaza, accusing Hamas of using them for military purposes, an accusation the group denies. But sending undercover forces to carry out arrests has been rare.
