Latest news with #Yabiladi
Ya Biladi
13 hours ago
- Ya Biladi
Moroccan FAR drone neutralizes Polisario attackers after Es-Semara assault
A new chapter has emerged in the attack carried out by Polisario armed elements on Friday, June 27, targeting civilian areas in Es-Semara. The perpetrators behind the launch of five projectiles did not make it back to the Tindouf camps unscathed. «A Royal Armed Forces (FAR) drone, conducting a routine surveillance mission in the region, immediately tracked the vehicle carrying the Polisario attackers responsible for Friday's strike», a Moroccan security source told Yabiladi. «A missile fired by the unmanned aircraft completely destroyed the vehicle and its occupants. The exact toll of the airstrike, which occurred east of the Sand Wall, has yet to be confirmed». Shortly before the strike, the assailants, traveling in a vehicle, fired five rockets—believed to be of Iranian origin—on the city of Es-Semara. One projectile landed near a MINURSO barracks, but no casualties or material damage were reported.
Ya Biladi
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Sahara : Polisario fires five projectiles on Es-Smara
On Friday, June 27, armed militias of the Polisario launched five missiles on the city of Es-Smara. «The projectiles caused no casualties or material damage. They landed a few kilometers from the Rbite neighborhood, prompting an immediate state of alert across the city», a Moroccan security source told Yabiladi. A media outlet affiliated with the Polisario claimed there were «explosions at Moroccan military positions in Es-Smara». The attack comes just 48 hours after a bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to designate the Polisario as a terrorist organization. The last Polisario attack targeting civilians in Morocco dates back to November 8, 2024, in Al Mahbes. On that day, four projectiles were fired near tents sheltering Sahrawi civilians celebrating the 49th anniversary of the Green March. No casualties were reported.
Ya Biladi
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
FAR drone strikes Polisario vehicle near Sand Wall
A Royal Armed Forces (FAR) drone struck a Polisario vehicle on Thursday, June 19. «The operation took place in the Karzaze region, near Mijek, east of the Sand Wall. The outcome of the strike remains unknown for now», a source familiar with the matter told Yabiladi. According to the same source, the Polisario elements had first crossed into Mauritanian territory clandestinely, intending to carry out an operation against Moroccan positions, before being targeted by the FAR drone. However, a Polisario-affiliated media outlet offered a different version of events, claiming the Moroccan drone targeted a «civilian vehicle» in the same area. It's worth noting that FAR drones had already targeted Polisario vehicles in Karzaze on May 29. This latest operation comes just 24 hours after Brahim Ghali presided over the graduation ceremony of a new cohort of the Front's armed militias on Wednesday.
Ya Biladi
18-06-2025
- Health
- Ya Biladi
«It's not a war, it's a genocide» : Moroccan doctor returns from Gaza with harrowing testimony
Dr. Abdelkbir Hassini, an anesthesiologist and resuscitation specialist at Hassan II Provincial Hospital in Khouribga (from 1990 to 2016), has devoted nearly thirty-five years to cases requiring his expertise. True to the spirit of the Hippocratic Oath, he took part in an international humanitarian mission in the Gaza Strip from May 29 to June 12, 2025, supporting Palestinian medical staff on the ground. Through the Beverly Hills–based Rahma NGO, and as a member of the Moroccan coordination of Doctors for Palestine, Dr. Hassini spent fifteen days in Khan Younis alongside specialists from Australia, Germany, the UK, and the United States. «With the World Health Organization (WHO), this organization is one of the few currently capable of organizing international humanitarian missions in the Gaza Strip. Despite restrictions on supplies, we were able to bring some medical provisions, equipment, and vital components for our operations. Quantities had to be limited to avoid potential seizures, but we managed to bring in a few batches», Dr. Hassini explains. Having just returned to Morocco, Dr. Hassini, currently working in the private sector, has already resumed his duties, carrying the heavy weight of an intense mission amid the total siege of Gaza. Between anesthesia and resuscitation interventions, he shared with Yabiladi the devastating effects of nearly three years of Israeli military offensives in the region, where «the medical infrastructure is practically out of service». «My assignment reflects a situation words cannot fully capture. Initially, I was supposed to join Nasser Hospital, Gaza's largest remaining referral hospital. But due to the lack of resources on site to carry out medical procedures in our specialties, we were reassigned to Al Amal Hospital. The entire hospital infrastructure in northern Gaza is now unable to accommodate and care for the wounded needing resuscitation, including the European Hospital in Khan Younis», he says. An «exemplary» organization amid a «catastrophic situation» On the ground, «the situation is catastrophic», and even Al Amal Hospital is at risk of being shut down, especially as the ceasefire no longer holds despite numerous UN warnings to Israel. During Dr. Hassini's mission, the WHO also warned that Gaza's health system was collapsing. «There are no longer any operational hospitals in northern Gaza. Nasser and Al Amal are the last two functioning public hospitals in Khan Younis, where most of the population now lives. Without these facilities, essential health services can no longer be provided», the organization cautioned. Speaking to Yabiladi, Dr. Hassini recounted his experience in real time: «Nearly three days into our mission, the director of Al Amal Hospital informed us that the facility was in what the occupation calls an 'evacuation zone,' putting patients and staff at risk. After some hesitation, our NGO reassured us, and we continued operating on site». The permanent medical team and volunteer humanitarians were vital, as the hospital handles all severe injuries that cannot be treated elsewhere. «Severe injuries number in the dozens daily, all received by a single facility with fully mobilized healthcare staff and resuscitation beds at capacity», says Dr. Hassini. «We were able to provide necessary care to patients, especially thanks to the complementary expertise among specialists on site and the diverse mission team I was part of emergency doctors, anesthesiologists, trauma surgeons, and ophthalmologists. We organized a care circuit covering first aid, intensive care, and complex surgeries requiring large quantities of blood. In this regard, I must commend the high skill level of the Palestinian medical staff, who work under these conditions every day in an exemplary way». Describing the conditions, the doctor paints a picture of «inhumane and unimaginable situations, daily killings, and extreme cruelty that even the images from Gaza don't fully show». Among the cases that stayed with him, he recounts one that «illustrates the complex and multifaceted suffering of a single individual and family among the civilian population». «It was a young man who came to Al Amal Hospital carrying his severely injured daughter. The child needed immediate anesthesia and surgery. The father told us that his wife had been maimed in the same attack, and their son had been hit in the face. This reveals that beyond the many patients we see, there's an invisible face of cruelty, transfers impossible outside Gaza, uncounted dead, dismembered bodies, and injured people that families tally every day», he laments. Unjustifiable silence Amid this emergency response, Dr. Hassini praises «the organizational capacity of Palestinian colleagues, who manage to sustain stocks of supplies and medical equipment despite the health system being targeted by the occupation. This allowed us to provide the injured and patients with the necessary blood, pharmaceuticals, and pre-operative care». «When faced with such situations, it is our faith in life that prevails and motivates us as medical professionals. We have no choice but to treat all patients. The Palestinian population's attachment to life constantly reminded us of this, it is one of the greatest lessons from these missions. The citizens of Gaza count their dead and injured every day, yet their hope for a better tomorrow after all this genocide remains intact, and their morale grows stronger». In this context, Dr. Hassini insists, «It must be said: this is no longer a war, it is genocide». «I share the dismay and astonishment of my fellow humanitarian mission members», he adds. He also expresses his «total incomprehension at the unjustifiable silence of the international community, witnessing so much terror and unable to stop the massacre». Under such circumstances, the doctor reflects, «One returns deeply marked by what is happening on the ground, but also strengthened by the mental fortitude that is a tool of resistance for the Palestinian people, a force that makes us question our own everyday challenges and concerns».
Ya Biladi
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Spanish officer accused of exploiting Moroccan minors seeking asylum
The organization Don't Touch My Child revealed that a Spanish police officer exploited Moroccan migrants, including minors, in exchange for assistance with asylum procedures. The organization strongly condemned the acts, expressed full support for the victims, and affirmed its commitment to pursuing legal action in the case. The human rights organization Don't Touch My Child has strongly condemned what it described as «humiliating and unethical practices» involving a Spanish police officer. The condemnation comes after Spanish media revealed this week that the officer had been detained on charges of exploiting Moroccan migrants, including minors, in exchange for facilitating asylum applications or legal status adjustments. According to the organization, the officer, who worked in immigration centers in both Ceuta and the Canary Islands, held suspicious meetings in hotel rooms where he was staying. He allegedly targeted young Moroccans in vulnerable situations, offering help with their asylum procedures in exchange for sexual favors, gifts, or money. The Supreme Court in Madrid has since suspended him from duty for 90 days as a temporary disciplinary measure. Supporting the victims In a statement to Yabiladi, Taib Boucheiba, national coordinator for Don't Touch My Child, said: «The decision of the Spanish judiciary is not strict enough and does not match the gravity of the crime. The accused exploited minors in precarious situations, which constitutes human trafficking». He added, «We condemn this lenient decision». The organization denounced the acts as a violation of human dignity and migrants' rights, especially those of minors, and voiced deep concern over the lack of any formal criminal proceedings in a case of such ethical and humanitarian seriousness. Don't Touch My Child reaffirmed its full support for any victims wishing to come forward and seek justice, whether through national or international courts, stressing the need to protect migrant minors and uphold their human dignity. The organization also called for an urgent criminal investigation into the case, not merely an administrative sanction, and urged Spanish authorities to fulfill their legal and moral obligations to safeguard the rights of migrants, particularly Moroccan minors. In its conclusion, the organization stated that it is closely monitoring the case and will take all necessary steps to protect Moroccan children wherever they may be, particularly in reception and asylum centers. Boucheiba added that «this is not the first time Moroccan minors have suffered exploitation in Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands. What's different now is that this officer was caught». He explained that the officer allegedly offered to regularize the legal status of Moroccan minors by assisting them with asylum applications that falsely portrayed them as victims of persecution in Morocco. According to Boucheiba, the organization, with the help of supporters in Europe, has filed a lawsuit in Spain against the officer, and is urging Spanish civil society organizations to take such cases seriously and work to address them.
