Latest news with #al-Hams
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Gaza branded 'horror show' by UN chief as fears of famine sweep war zone
As Israeli military strikes on the Gaza Strip continue to claim the lives of Palestinians, the ongoing nightmare has prompted a heartfelt message from the United Nations chief Israeli strikes on Gaza killed at least 21 people overnight and into early Wednesday, more than half of them women and children, health officials said. It came amid major famine fears caused by Israel 's blockade as a law and order breakdown in Gaza has led to widespread looting and violence near aid sites. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food in the Gaza Strip, it has been claimed. More than 100 human rights groups and charities signed a letter published Wednesday demanding more aid for Gaza and warning of grim conditions causing starvation. And, branding the Gaza nightmare a 'horror show' UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said that a ceasefire is needed now more than ever. Mr Guterres told the UN security council that "around the world, we see an utter disregard for - if not outright violations of - international law" as well as the UN Charter. He said "starvation is knocking on every door" as Israel denies the United Nations the space and safety to deliver aid and save Palestinian lives. Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians and aid staff as part of its war with Hamas and blames UN agencies for failing to deliver food it has allowed in. More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed during the Israel-Hamas war, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Dr. Marwan al-Hams, acting director of Gaza's field hospitals and the health ministry's spokesman, was detained by Israeli troops earlier this week in the Palestinian territory. Alaa al-Sakafi, head of Addameer, a Palestinian rights group,said lawyers have not been allowed to see al-Hams. His detention in a southern Israel prison was extended until the end of the month, al-Sakafi said. He said al-Hams suffered from a gunshot wound in his leg, which he sustained during his detention in Gaza's southern city of Rafah on Monday. Israel has not commented on al-Hams' detention. The Israeli military said in a statement Wednesday that forces were operating in Gaza City as well as in northern Gaza. It said without elaborating that in Jabaliya, an area hard-hit in multiple rounds of fighting, an air strike killed "a number of" Hamas militants. Troops struck roughly 120 targets throughout Gaza over the past day, including militant cells, tunnels and booby-trapped structures, among others, the military said. One Israeli strike hit a house Tuesday in the northwestern side of Gaza City, killing at least 12 people, according to the Shifa Hospital, which received the casualties. The dead included six children and two women, according to the Health Ministry's casualty list. Another strike hit an apartment in the Tal al-Hawa area in northern Gaza, killing at least six people. Among the dead were three children and two women, including one who was pregnant. Eight others were wounded, the ministry said. A third strike hit a tent in the Naser neighborhood in Gaza City late Tuesday and killed three children, Shifa Hospital said. The Israeli military blames Hamas for civilian casualties because the militants operate from populated areas. In the letter issued Wednesday by 115 human rights and charity groups, they warned of a dire situation pushing more people toward starvation. They said they were watching their own colleagues, as well as the Palestinians they serve, "waste away." The letter slammed Israel for what it said were restrictions on aid into the war-ravaged territory. It lamented "massacres" at food distribution points, which have seen chaos and violence in recent weeks as desperation has risen. "The government of Israel's restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death," the letter said. The letter called for aid to be scaled up as well as for a ceasefire. ` Israel says that it has allowed the entry of thousands of trucks since May and blames aid groups for not consistently delivering goods.
Shafaq News
21-07-2025
- Health
- Shafaq News
Israeli forces accused of abducting Gaza's top field hospital chief
Shafaq News – Gaza Israel's reported abduction of a senior Palestinian physician in southern Gaza has drawn sharp condemnation from Gaza's Health Ministry, local authorities, and Hamas, who describe the incident as part of a broader campaign targeting the medical sector amid the ongoing war. On Monday, an Israeli special forces unit allegedly abducted Dr. Marwan al-Hams, the director of Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital and Gaza's top official overseeing field hospitals, while he was visiting a facility affiliated with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Rafah. According to Palestinian officials, the assault involved direct fire on an ambulance, resulting in multiple casualties, including journalist Tamer al-Za'anin. The Government Media Office in Gaza called the incident a 'war crime' and 'a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.' It held Israel 'fully responsible' for Dr. al-Hams' safety and demanded an international response. 'This is a grave breach of the most basic legal norms,' it said in a statement, calling for the international community to clarify its stance and act to stop such violations. Gaza's Ministry of Health issued a strongly worded statement denouncing the abduction, describing it as 'a dangerous precedent and direct assault on one of the leading humanitarian voices who conveyed the suffering of Gaza's starving children and untreated wounded to the world.' The ministry added, 'This cowardly act reflects a premeditated attempt to silence truth and conceal the suffering of an entire people enduring the worst health and humanitarian disaster.' The ministry demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. al-Hams and reiterated that the Israeli military would be held accountable for his fate. In a separate statement, the Hamas movement condemned what it called 'a deliberate attack' on Gaza's health sector, citing the abduction and the killing of civilians during the raid. The group accused Israel of waging 'a campaign of extermination targeting all aspects of life in Gaza' and demanded urgent international intervention. Hamas urged the World Health Organization, the ICRC, and other global institutions to condemn the incident and exert pressure on Israel to release detained Palestinian medical workers. Israel has not formally acknowledged detaining Dr. al-Hams. No official statement from the Israeli military or government has confirmed the abduction. However, the Israeli army has previously accused some Gaza medical personnel of cooperating with Hamas or using hospitals for militant activities — claims that have drawn widespread international scrutiny and criticism. Since October 2023, the war in Gaza has devastated the health system. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 400 medical staff have been killed, and more than 300 others detained. Dozens of hospitals and clinics have been destroyed or rendered inoperable. Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that the collapse of Gaza's health sector has left civilians with little access to food, medicine, or emergency care. Dr. al-Hams, a physician and spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, had been a visible figure throughout the war, regularly reporting on shortages in hospitals and the humanitarian crisis facing patients and displaced families.
Middle East Eye
21-07-2025
- Health
- Middle East Eye
Palestinian Ministry of Health condemns Israeli arrest of Gaza hospital director
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has confirmed that Dr Marwan al-Hams, director of the Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, has been arrested by Israeli Special Forces. The Ministry condemned the arrest as a "cowardly act", and described al-Hams as "one of the most prominent humanitarian and medical voices" in Gaza. Israel has frequently targeted health workers and hospital infrastructure during its ongoing war on Gaza. The arrest follows Israel's killing of prominent Palestinian doctor Marwan al-Sultan in a missile strike on his home on 2 July.
Days of Palestine
06-05-2025
- Health
- Days of Palestine
Malnutrition Claims the Lives of 57 Children in Gaza
DaysofPal- The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced on Monday that the number of children who have died due to malnutrition in the Gaza Strip has risen to 57, amid an escalating humanitarian catastrophe. In statements monitored by Sanad News Agency, the ministry warned that children in Gaza 'are being killed twice' — both by direct attacks and by hunger. Since the start of what has been described as a war of extermination, more than 16,000 children have been killed in the besieged enclave. The ministry also revealed that the Israeli occupation continues to prevent the entry of critical medical supplies, including polio vaccines, endangering efforts to control and prevent outbreaks among the already vulnerable population. Dr. Marwan al-Hams, director of field hospitals in Gaza, said on Sunday that most residents are now living under a blockade-induced state of starvation. 'Famine is inevitable,' he said, stressing that the health system is collapsing and medical teams are helpless to respond. 'There is no formula milk for infants, and no medicine for pregnant women,' al-Hams added, appealing to the global community: 'We want to live in peace, just like any other people in the world.' Meanwhile, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor condemned the crisis, describing the starvation in Gaza as a 'deliberate and complete crime being committed in broad daylight.' In an earlier statement, the rights group noted that famine has reached catastrophic levels, with a sharp rise in natural death rates — particularly among children and the elderly — due to hunger, dehydration, and lack of medical care. Despite urgent appeals, humanitarian aid remains largely blocked. The ongoing Israeli siege has halted the flow of food, water, and medicine into Gaza for over two months, triggering warnings from international organizations about an impending mass starvation event. As Gaza's children continue to bear the heaviest burden, humanitarian and rights organizations are calling for immediate action to lift the siege and allow life-saving aid to reach those most in need. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
05-05-2025
- Health
- Days of Palestine
Gaza health official warns of imminent famine
DaysofPal- Gaza is on the verge of an unprecedented famine, according to a senior Palestinian health official, as the ongoing conflict and blockade continue to wreak havoc on the civilian population. Marwan al-Hams, director of the field hospitals in Gaza, described the situation as dire, with the population enduring severe hunger and a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis. 'We are powerless; there is no infant formula for children nor medicine for pregnant women,' al-Hams said in a statement to the press on Sunday. 'The Gaza population is suffering from extreme deprivation, and we urgently need the world to act and end this genocide and starvation.' Al-Hams appealed directly to the international community, urging immediate intervention. 'We want to live in peace, just like any other people in the world,' he added, emphasizing the desperation of civilians who are trapped under a suffocating blockade. Hospitals in Gaza are also facing a critical shortage of fuel needed to run power generators. According to al-Hams, these supplies will only last for three more days, placing the lives of thousands of patients in jeopardy. 'The situation is catastrophic,' he warned, underscoring the immense strain on Gaza's healthcare infrastructure as it struggles to manage the mounting casualties and medical emergencies caused by the ongoing conflict. Earlier, the Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza issued an urgent warning that the strip is 'teetering on the edge of mass deaths' due to escalating famine and continued deprivation. 'The famine is spreading, with over a million children at extreme risk,' the GMO said in a statement. 'Vital sectors, including healthcare and food supply, are collapsing under the weight of a suffocating blockade and shameful international silence.' The GMO confirmed that more than 3,500 children in Gaza are on the verge of starvation, citing Israel's ongoing blockade and its prevention of vital food and medical supplies from entering the region for the past 64 days. 'The situation for children is critical. More than 70,000 children have been admitted to hospitals for severe malnutrition, and about 290,000 children are now on the brink of death,' the statement read. The office also revealed that approximately 1.1 million children in Gaza are lacking the minimum daily food necessary for survival, as the blockade continues to hinder the flow of aid into the region. 'Over 70,000 children have already been hospitalized with severe malnutrition, and the number is rising every day,' the GMO said. Since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023, the toll of Israel's policies has been devastating. The Government Media Office reported that at least 57 Palestinians have died as a direct result of starvation, a number that is expected to increase as the blockade remains in place. 'We are facing an imminent humanitarian catastrophe,' the statement read, calling on the international community to intervene and put an end to the blockade and ongoing siege of Gaza. The continued closure of crossings has compounded the suffering, leaving Gaza's population cut off from essential humanitarian aid, including food, medical supplies, and fuel. Aid organizations and health officials have repeatedly warned that without immediate action, the situation could spiral into an even larger crisis, affecting the entire population of Gaza, especially the most vulnerable — children, the elderly, and the sick. International calls for intervention have intensified, but the lack of concrete action from world powers has led to widespread frustration and despair among Palestinians. Al-Hams, in his call for action, echoed this sentiment, saying, 'The world must act now. Gaza cannot wait any longer.' Shortlink for this post:
