Dozens more Palestinians killed by Israeli fire as war drags on
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on any of the strikes, but says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, because the group's militants operate in densely populated areas.
The deaths came as the UK announced it would recognise a Palestinian state in September, unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, after a similar declaration by France's president. Israel's foreign ministry said that it rejected the British statement.
The Shifa hospital in Gaza City said it received 12 people who were killed on Tuesday night when Israeli forces opened fire towards crowds waiting for aid trucks coming from the Zikim crossing in north-western Gaza.
Thirteen others were killed in strikes in the Jabaliya refugee camp and the northern towns of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, the hospital said.
In the southern city of Khan Younis, the Nasser hospital said it received the bodies of 16 people it says were killed on Tuesday evening while waiting for aid trucks close to the newly built Morag corridor, which separates Khan Younis from the southernmost city of Rafah.
The hospital received another body, of a man killed in a strike on a tent in Khan Younis, it said.
The Awda hospital in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp said that it received the bodies of four Palestinians who it says were killed on Wednesday by Israeli fire close to an aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in the Netzarim corridor area, south of the Wadi Gaza.
Seven more Palestinians, including a child, have died of malnutrition-related causes in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, the territory's health ministry said on Wednesday. A total of 89 children have died of malnutrition since the war began in Gaza.
The ministry said 65 Palestinian adults have also died of malnutrition-related causes across Gaza since late June, when it started counting deaths among adults.
Hamas started the war with a militant-led attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others.
They still hold 50 hostages, though Israel believes that more than half are dead. Most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians.
The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The UN and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
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Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Telegraph
Exactly what happens to your body when you're sunburnt
Wearing sunscreen should be as routine as brushing teeth or wearing a seatbelt or a bike helmet. Yet many of us – particularly those intent on getting a tan – will have felt that hot, tingling sensation on our shoulders already this month and kicked ourselves for not protecting our skin. Around half the British population get sunburnt at least once a year, according to a study by Melanoma Focus, which found that younger people are the most careless, with 65 per cent of 18 to 32 year olds getting burnt. The same study also revealed that 36 per cent of British people rarely or never apply sunscreen when in the UK during summer months – a figure that increases to 42 per cent for men. Alarm bells should be ringing, as both sunburn and sun tans are physical signs that your skin is reacting to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. 'They are on the same spectrum of damage with a sun tan representing the skin attempting to protect itself from UV damage and a sunburn at the extreme end where it can no longer protect itself – a sign that your skin has been severely damaged at a microscopic level,' says Dr Mary Sommerlad, a consultant dermatologist and spokesman for the British Skin Foundation. 'Repeated sunburns at any age increase your risk of skin cancer; blistering sunburns particularly before adulthood have been shown to increase the risk of malignant melanoma, the type of skin cancer that can shorten life.' Melanoma, once considered rare, is now the fifth most common cancer in the UK with around 17,500 new cases diagnosed each year. The UK now has more deaths from melanoma each year than Australia. 'This data is extremely concerning as we know that more than five sunburns in your lifetime doubles your risk of melanoma,' says Susanna Daniels of Melanoma Focus. Sunburn is itchy, painful and in some cases unsightly for about a week, but the damage to the DNA in the skin cells is irreversible and can lead to cancer over time. UV rays can also cause premature ageing and pigmentation. So it's essential that we understand the immediate and longer-term effects of sun on the skin, says Dr Sommerlad. What happens after you get sunburnt After 15 minutes You might not feel it yet but the damage has already begun. Within just 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure, UV radiation begins penetrating the outermost layers of your skin. 'UVB radiation starts damaging DNA,' Dr Sommerlad says. 'The body's immune system recognises this damage and triggers an inflammatory response. Blood vessels dilate, which is why in those with lightly pigmented skin, the skin can look red and feels warm and tender. This response is your body trying to bring immune cells to the area to repair the damage. In those with deeply pigmented skin, redness may be less perceptible but instead the skin may feel warm and tender.' After two hours The feelings of warmth, tenderness and swelling may worsen as your immune system continues to respond, Dr Sommerlad continues. 'Blistering may appear in very extreme cases – a troubling sign of dead skin cells that have lost the ability to remain cohesive.' Pain worsens as the nerve cells are activated by the inflammation from the UV damage. Furthermore, in very severe cases there may be flu-like symptoms of chills, aching and nausea caused by a release of inflammatory chemicals into the bloodstream from the extensive UV damage. After 48 hours Peeling begins as your body sheds damaged skin cells trying to remove cells with irreparable DNA damage. 'The skin may remain red or darker than the original skin colour. Itchy skin occurs as wound healing events start to occur in the sun burnt areas,' Dr Sommerlad says. The process of healing the skin can release chemicals in the skin that increase the sensation of itch, she says, a bit like when you have an itchy scab. After 72 hours Excess uneven pigmentation appears as the initial pain and swelling subsides. This is from the overproduction of eumelanin, a type of melanin, in response to excess UV exposure, Dr Sommerlad says. This manifests as freckles, sun spots known as solar lentigos. 'These are often permanent but may fade in less sunny months only to reappear in sunnier weather. Others do not fade even in the winter months,' Dr Sommerlad explains. 'It is important to regularly monitor your skin for any changes, particularly moles,' agrees Clare O'Connor, a suncare scientific advisor at Boots. 'If you do notice anything unusual, you should visit your GP, an NHS Walk-in Centre or a pharmacist.' A mole scanning service is available in selected Boots stores, while a SmartSkin Checker, an AI-powered skin tool that can screen for over 70 skin conditions, is available via Boots Online Doctor. After one year Your skin remembers being sunburnt long after your tan has faded. Long-term effects include hyperpigmentation manifesting as patchy pigment, freckling and sun spots, liver spots or age spots, Dr Sommerlad says. 'Fine lines and loss of firmness can also be observed.' These changes are broadly described as photo damage and give the skin a prematurely aged appearance. UV eye damage can lead to early cataract formation and growths on the surface of the eye such as pterygium which can affect your vision. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that up to 20 per cent of cataracts globally are the result of UV overexposure. After a decade Cumulative DNA damage from repeated sunburns can eventually overwhelm your skin's repair mechanisms, leading to mutations in genes that control the skin cells potentially leading to pre-cancer and cancerous skin changes, Dr Sommerlad continues. We know that melanomas arise through a complicated interplay between melanocytes – the cells that give pigment – developing uncontrolled growth and division. 'It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when and why melanomas form,' she says. 'We do know that some people are much more likely to get them.' Those with lots of unusual looking moles, a history of sunburn and sun tan bed use, and who burn very easily or have a family history of skin cancer are at higher risk. According to Dr Sommerlad, photo-damaged skin appears saggier, more lined and wrinkled with extensive uneven pigmentation giving the skin a prematurely aged appearance. Can you reverse sun damage? If so, how? While you can't reverse the underlying damage from sun exposure, you can treat the skin with aftersun afterwards, which cools it and keeps it moisturised. 'Lotions with aloe vera can have a cooling effect on the skin,' O'Connor explains. 'It's also important to drink plenty of water to keep yourself cool and prevent dehydration.' Although prevention is better than cure, some skincare ingredients can help boost texture and firmness such as retinoids and peptides, adds Dr Sommerlad, while retinoids can also help fade dark marks. 'Niacinamide and antioxidants like vitamin C can help with hyperpigmentation too,' she says. 'In clinic procedures such as intense pulsed light (IPL), laser resurfacing, skin peels and microneedling can also target hyperpigmentation and skin laxity but may not suit everyone and can be expensive as you might need several treatments.' How can I protect myself in the future? Dr Sommerlad recommends sticking to shaded areas when spending time outside and avoiding outdoor activities when the sun is at its most potent between midday and 2pm. 'Wear breathable clothing that keeps you cool but protects from sunburns such as long sleeves and keep backs and lower limbs covered,' she advises, adding that we should all invest in a wide brimmed sun hat and suns glasses that have UV protection. For the parts of the body that are not easily covered such as face and neck, hands and ears, she suggests using a broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30+ or 50 with a high UVA protection). 'Reapply every two hours and immediately after swimming or sweating. Never rely on sunscreen alone as its application is also 'user dependent' and 'reuse dependent', and prioritise seeking shade and avoiding sunbathing as well as the protective clothing,' she says. If you notice any signs of sunburn, you should seek shade and cover up with clothing to help stop any more damage from happening. Putting on more sunscreen doesn't mean you can stay out in the sun for longer, Dr Sommerlad adds. Does sunscreen really work? Up to 86 per cent of melanomas are preventable if you protect your skin in the sun, according to Melanoma Focus, with sunscreen and protective clothing. SPF stands for sun protection factor and measures the product's protection against UVB rays; if your skin would burn in 10 minutes and SPF 30 should protect you for 30 times longer, ie about 300 minutes. 'We should use a minimum of SPF30 for all skin tones, increasing to SPF50 for those with fair or sun sensitive skin and for children,' O'Connor says. It's important that a sunscreen also has a high UVA level. UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and contribute to premature ageing and skin cancer; they can even pass through a glass window or windscreen. 'Always check the UVA rating when purchasing sunscreen and look for five-star rated UVA, indicating the highest level of UVA protection,' O'Connor says. 'Broad spectrum' means it protects against both UVA and UVB. FAQs Is tanning as bad as sunburn? Yes. Tanning, even without burning, still damages DNA and increases your risk of skin cancer. There's no such thing as a 'safe tan.' What does skin cancer look like? Broadly speaking, Stage 1 melanoma may be a small, flat or raised mole with irregular borders and colour variation, Dr Sommerlad says. It arises in an existing mole in about 20 per cent of cases. Early detection and treatment may reduce the risk of it spreading beyond Stage 1. I had sunburn as a child – is there anything I can do now? Yes. Get familiar with 'self surveillance': checking the skin for potential skin cancers. Have a low threshold to consult a dermatologist if you notice any concerning changes to your skin; early detection of cancer is key. For advice on how to check your skin, see The British Association of Dermatologists website. Meanwhile, be meticulous with sun protection. Avoid sunbathing and suntan beds altogether even if you don't burn. The NHS do not offer mole check services, but many private providers do and may be worth considering if you have a lots of freckles and moles for an in person full skin check where you can also learn how to continue checking yourself at home. Don't I need to go into the sun to get vitamin D? Getting some sun on our skin can help our bodies to make the vitamin D it needs for healthy bones, according to Cancer Research UK, but whatever your skin tone, there's no need to sunbathe or risk getting sunburn for the sake of vitamin D intake. Can you sunburn on a cloudy day? Yes as the clouds don't block all UV; in fact 80 per cent can get through. UV doesn't heat the air – that's infra red light from the sun that gives the warm feeling – so you may be lulled into a false sense of security about UV strength on a cloudy summer's day. Can all skin types sunburn?
Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Starving Palestinian students 'left to die in Gaza warzone' as UK sets impossible test
Soha Abu Eid, a 31-year-old determined to study a nursing PHD in the UK in honour of her friend and colleague Fatima, has been blocked from taking up her place by UK Home Office requirements A starving midwife living in a refugee camp is one of dozens of hopeful Palestinian students blocked from UK universities by government bureaucracy. At least 70 people living in Gaza have overcome enormous odds to earn places and scholarship offers from UK universities off the back of applications written in the famine-stricken warzone. Many wrote essays from tents in refugee camps, using 2G phone internet to download forms while the war raged around them. Glimmers of hope in the form of acceptance letters have been cruelly extinguished by the Home Office, which insists they must submit biometric information to travel - despite the only authorised-biometric centre in Gaza closing in 2023. Salvation has turned to yet more despair for the students, as the UK Government refuses to waive the impossible, Kafkaesque requirement in favour of online visas, as countries including Ireland and Italy have. Among them is Soha Abu Eid, a 31-year-old determined to study a nursing PHD in the UK in honour of her friend and colleague Fatima. As military aircraft flew overhead, UNRWA worker Soha told the Mirror her fears that she wouldn't make it to next summer, having lost 20kg since October 7 and many loved ones to a war that has claimed 60,000 Palestinian lives. 'My main goal right now is to survive. I lost my friend, Fatima, who was killed back in November 2023. She was doing a midwife PHD. I thought, 'I need to complete her dream. I need to do this to honour her'. Both of us had a real connection to women. The end goal is rebuilding the health care system,' Soha explained from the Nuseirat refugee camp in the centre of the Gaza Strip. That dream looked much closer to Soha when she received a scholarship offer from Ulster University, in June 2024. 'It was the second day of Eid. 12pm Gaza time. I was stuck to my phone refreshing my email, leaning out of my grandma's window for signal. I didn't even finish the email. I started to scream and jump. It was a huge moment for me. My cousins and sisters were next to me. Even my mum started crying.' As much as these scenes echo those that will take place in schools across the UK on A Level results day on August 14, Soha's joy was shortlived. Nora Parr, a researcher with the University of Birmingham, explains that from there the process for Gazan students reaches an unpassable, inexplicable dead-end. 'Once you have your unconditional offer and have submitted English language assessments, then you apply for your visa. This is a convoluted process; the first thing it asks you to do is to go to a biometric centre, which is now closed," Nora said. 'They have had extraordinary difficultly applying for biometric differment. It has all been dead ends, the students have found no way to get round it. The UK says they have created a route, but they have not. No one has been able to access it. Not a single student.' Right now there are more than 70 Gazan students accepted to UK universities, 48 with full scholarships. As it stands, none will start studying in the UK come September. For Soha, that means her offer of a place and scholarship will expire, along with her dream of spending three years in the UK to perfect her profession before returning to rebuild Gaza. 'I deserve to be there. I deserve to take up my place. But I can't defer again. I don't think I'll be alive next year.' This week more than 70 MPs have signed a letter asking the government to delay biometric checks for the students from Gaza so they can study in Britain. A government spokesperson said: "We are aware of these students and are considering how we can best support. Of course, the situation on the ground in Gaza makes this extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to find a solution."
Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
British medic's heartbreaking two words to dead Gaza child, 9, while zipping up their body bag
NHS paramedic Sam Sears recently returned from a three-week stint in the stricken Gaza enclave working at a charity's field hospitals, and now shares his harrowing tale For British medic Sam Sears, the episode is one he will never forget. Only days into working in Gaza, he was tasked with an act underlining war's grim reality — putting children into body bags. Though, of course, he bore no blame, Sam poignantly told one lifeless lad as he zipped up the bag: 'I'm sorry.' The brave NHS paramedic, 44, recently returned from a three-week stint in the stricken enclave for charity UK-Med. The British non-profit runs two field hospitals there where Sam, from Northamptonshire, split his time. After haunting pictures of emaciated children have emerged from the strip, he has offered a harrowing account of the experience. Drones and gunfire provided a chilling soundtrack for his days – and the flow of horrific injuries was constant. International pressure has been building on Israel to end the conflict, with PM Keir Starmer highlighting the 'terrible suffering' Palestinians have endured. But fighting has yet to stop; nor has the hunger. Famine, experts say, is underway. And just this week, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to take control of all of Gaza. More bloodshed will inevitably follow. Just a few days into Sam's deployment, he had to contend with a 'mass casualty incident'. Two boys, one aged nine, the other 10 or 11, were killed – and a third, about only eight, was in a dire state with shrapnel injuries. 'I was tasked with going into the resus area to support in there,' Sam, who back in the UK works for East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, recalled. 'There's three beds and when I went in on two of the beds there were two deceased children and on the other bed there was another child critically unwell.' His job was an unenviable one; to confirm their deaths and put them into body bags to be taken to the mortuary. 'It was me and an interpreter,' Sam said. 'It was difficult because we knew we had to be quick to get them away to make room. But we were being very dignified, the way we were handling. Even in the UK when we declare someone deceased and then we make them at peace for the family to see them, I do sometimes say something to them. 'But I definitely said to this young nine-year-old, 'I'm sorry', as I zipped up the body bag.' Asked why they were the words that came to him, Sam explained: 'I think just because his demise, his end, came because of this whole war going on and he didn't deserve it.' The incident is one he will never forget 'without a doubt', he said. Sam, a veteran of deployments to Ukraine, Rwanda, Turkey and Sierra Leone for UK-Med, is no stranger to working in tough environments. But Gaza was so much worse than he anticipated – 'the destruction and devastation is just unprecedented'. 'Malnutrition is no longer a future threat. It is a present killer,' Sam said. 'One of my patients was a 16-year-old girl named Noor. She has diabetes but was half the expected weight for her age. 'Her father told me they sometimes went two days without food or clean water. Noor was lucky to reach us in time, but many others do not. Even those who survive the hunger live in constant fear. There is no safe space. The sound of shelling and airstrikes is relentless. Children cry not just from pain or hunger, but from sheer terror. The health system in Gaza has been battered. Hospitals are under-resourced, understaffed, and overwhelmed. Supplies are critically low. Electricity is intermittent. Colleagues I worked with in Gaza – brave, committed local medics – have lost homes, family members, and friends, yet they keep working. Their resilience is extraordinary, but it is not infinite.' UK-Med's field hospitals are in Al-Mawasi, in the south, which includes an emergency department, and Deir El Balah in central Gaza. The Manchester charity has been backed with £19million of funding by the UK government for its work in the strip. The Manchester charity has been backed with £19million of funding by the UK government for its work in Gaza. UK-Med has carried out over 600,000 patient consultations since starting work in the strip in January 2024. It is approaching two years since Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel left about 1,200 dead and saw 251 hostages taken, sparking the war. Though some hostages have been released, nearly 50 are still said to be held – just over half of whom are believed to be dead. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory military offensive, according to Gaza's health ministry. And hunger looms over the crippled territory. Only last month, the UN said nearly one in three people in the enclave are going days without eating. Though it has yet to be officially declared, UN-backed global food security experts have warned 'the worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out'. Sam added: 'This crisis requires a sustained ceasefire, not a fragile truce. It requires a permanent end to hostilities, full protection for civilians and health workers, and unhindered humanitarian access to food, fuel, and medical supplies. The longer the world waits, the higher the cost. Hunger and despair are spreading faster than aid can reach. If the conflict doesn't kill, starvation might. As I return to my life in the UK, I carry the weight of what I saw. The people of Gaza don't get to leave. They have no escape from the hunger, the fear, the trauma. They need more than our sympathy. They need our action.' Heartbreaking images from UK-Med's Al-Mawasi hospital this week paint a continuing picture of desperation. One shows the hand of a malnourished girl, with stick-thin arms, resting on her dad's. The child, Amira, visited the charity's nutrition clinic earlier this week with dad Abdulkader, mum Mona and brother Mohammed. In another picture, anguish was written on little Mohammed's face as his mother held him. According to UK-Med, there are four children in the family in total – all are suffering malnutrition. The only way for Abdulkader to get his daughter to stop writhing was to say 'milk, milk' – despite not having any. Another desperate story in a place where hope feels in short supply. But though tragic, Sam's tale of the two dead children offers a silver lining – the third boy survived after undergoing surgery. 'The next day, I found out he was sat up in bed and expected to make a full recovery,' Sam explained. 'It shows why we have to do what we do.'
