Pakistan's health minister assures Palestinian counterpart of medical support
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's health minister Syed Mustafa Kamal informed his Palestinian counterpart that a framework has been developed to provide medical assistance to the people of Gaza, according to an official statement on Wednesday, during a meeting on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly in Switzerland.
Kamal's meeting with the Palestinian health minister, Dr. Maged Awni Muhammad Abu Ramadan, took place at a time when Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted hospitals and health facilities in Gaza, crippling the enclave's health care system.
Israeli attacks have also led to international concern over violations of humanitarian norms in the war-torn Palestinian territory.
'We stand with our Palestinian brothers and will provide all possible medical support to heal their wounds,' the health ministry quoted Kamal as saying.
He strongly condemned Israel's targeting of hospitals and health care workers, urging the international community to take concrete action to end the atrocities against Palestinians, including women and children.
'The brutality and oppression must stop,' he was quoted as saying. 'The world must hold Israel accountable.'
Earlier this week, Pakistan condemned Israel's targeting of hospitals in Gaza and described its announcement of taking control of the entire Palestinian territory as a 'grave threat' to regional peace.
The remarks by the Pakistani foreign office came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his government wanted to take control of the Gaza Strip.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asharq Al-Awsat
6 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Arabia: No Diseases or Security Incidents Reported at Hajj
Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz announced on Thursday that no diseases or security incidents have been reported during this year's Hajj. The pilgrims traveled from the holy city of Makkah to Mina and later to Arafat smoothly and in line with operational plans, he stressed. Their transport was held in record time, he revealed, while the pilgrims enjoyed integrated services provided by all concerned sectors. Prince Saud added: 'God Almighty honored the Saudi leadership, government and people with hosting the holy sites and serving its visitors.' 'This is a major responsibility that obligates us to fulfill with dedication' to meet the aspirations of the visitors, he added. He highlighted the system of services that the Saudi government has provided to the pilgrims that has ensured that they carried out their rituals smoothly and safely. He also highlighted the financial and human resources that have been dedicated to organizing the Hajj. They have been backed by massive projects and plans that are being overseen by Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif so that the pilgrims can perform their rituals at ease. Prince Saud called on the pilgrims to respect regulations and instructions because 'your safety is our goal and serving you is our purpose.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
6 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Without Meat, Families in Gaza Struggle to Celebrate Eid Al-Adha Holiday
With the Gaza Strip devastated by war and siege, Palestinians struggled Thursday to celebrate one of the most important Islamic holidays. To mark Eid al-Adha — Arabic for the Festival of Sacrifice — Muslims traditionally slaughter a sheep or cow and give away part of the meat to the poor as an act of charity. Then they have a big family meal with sweets. Children get gifts of new clothes. But no fresh meat has entered Gaza for three months. Israel has blocked shipments of food and other aid to pressure Hamas to release hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that started the war. And nearly all the territory's homegrown sheep, cattle and goats are dead after 20 months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives, said The Associated Press. Some of the little livestock left was on sale at a makeshift pen set up in the vast tent camp of Muwasi in the southern part of Gaza's Mediterranean coast. But no one could afford to buy. A few people came to look at the sheep and goats, along with a cow and a camel. Some kids laughed watching the animals and called out the prayers connected to the holiday. 'I can't even buy bread. No meat, no vegetables,' said Abdel Rahman Madi. 'The prices are astronomical.' But prices for everything have soared amid the blockade, which was only slightly eased two weeks ago. Meat and most fresh fruits and vegetables disappeared from the markets weeks ago. At a street market in the nearby city of Khan Younis, some stalls had stuffed sheep toys and other holiday knickknacks and old clothes. But most people left without buying any gifts after seeing the prices. 'Before, there was an Eid atmosphere, the children were happy ... Now with the blockade, there's no flour, no clothes, no joy,' said Hala Abu Nqeira, a woman looking through the market. 'We just go to find flour for our children. We go out every day looking for flour at a reasonable price, but we find it at unbelievable prices.' Israel's campaign against Hamas has almost entirely destroyed Gaza's ability to feed itself. The UN says 96% of the livestock and 99% of the poultry are dead. More than 95% of Gaza's prewar cropland is unusable, either too damaged or inaccessible inside Israeli military zones, according to a land survey published this week by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. Israel barred all food and other supplies from entering Gaza for more than two months. It eased the blockade two weeks ago to allow a trickle of aid trucks in for the UN to distribute. The trucks have brought in some food items, mainly flour. But the UN says it has struggled to delivery much of the incoming aid because of looting or Israeli military restrictions. Almost the entire population of more than 2 million people have been driven from their homes, and most have had to move multiple times to escape Israeli offensives. Rasha Abu Souleyma said she recently slipped back to her home in Rafah — from which her family had fled to take refuge in Khan Younis — to find some possessions she'd left behind. She came back with some clothes, pink plastic sunglasses and bracelets that she gave to her two daughters as Eid gifts. 'I can't buy them clothes or anything,' the 38-year-old said. 'I used to bring meat in Eid so they would be happy, but now we can't bring meat, and I can't even feed the girls with bread.' Near her, a group of children played on makeshift swings made of knotted and looped ropes. Karima Nejelli, a displaced woman from Rafah, pointed out that people in Gaza had now marked both Eid al-Adha and the other main Islamic holiday, Eid al-Fitr, two times each under the war. 'During these four Eids, we as Palestinians did not see any kind of joy, no sacrifice, no cookies, no buying Eid clothes or anything.'
Arab News
12 hours ago
- Arab News
WHO urges ‘urgent protection' of key Gaza hospitals
GENEVA: The World Health Organization on Thursday called for the 'urgent protection' of two of the last hospitals remaining in the Gaza Strip, warning that the territory's health system is 'collapsing.' The WHO said the Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Amal Hospital risk becoming 'non-functional' because of restrictions on aid and access routes, further damaging a health system already battered by months of war. 'There are already no hospitals functioning in the north of Gaza. Nasser and Amal are the last two functioning public hospitals in Khan Younis, where currently most of the population is living,' the UN agency said in a statement on X. 'Without them, people will lose access to critical health services,' it said. The WHO added that closure of the two hospitals would eliminate 490 beds and reduce Gaza's hospital capacity to less than 1,400 beds — 40 percent below pre-war levels — for a population of two million people. The WHO said the hospitals have not been told to evacuate but lie within or just outside an Israeli-declared evacuation zone announced on June 2. Israeli authorities have told Gaza's health ministry that access routes to the two hospitals will be blocked, the WHO said. As a result, it will be 'difficult, if not impossible' for medical staff and new patients to reach them, it said. 'If the situation further deteriorates, both hospitals are at high risk of becoming non-functional, due to movement restrictions, insecurity, and the inability of WHO and partners to resupply or transfer patients,' the organization said. The WHO said both hospitals are already operating 'above their capacity,' with patients suffering life-threatening injuries arriving amid a 'dire shortage of essential medicines and medical supplies.' It warned the closure of Nasser and Al-Amal would have dire consequences for patients in need of surgical care, intensive care, blood bank and transfusion services, cancer care and dialysis. After nearly 20 months of war triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Gaza is mired in one of the world's gravest humanitarian crises, with civilians enduring relentless bombardment, mass displacement and severe hunger.
