Strikes Kill 29 In Gaza As Hostage Release Talks Ongoing
Gaza rescuers said at least 29 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday as negotiations took place in Qatar for the release of hostages still held in the war-battered territory.
"At least 25 martyrs were killed and dozens wounded" in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, while another four people were killed in a strike on the southern city of Khan Yunis, civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP.
Mohammad Awad, an emergency doctor in north Gaza's Indonesian Hospital, told AFP that shortages meant his department could not properly handle the flow of wounded from the Jabalia strike.
"The hospital could not accommodate the wounded. There are not enough beds, no medicine, and no means for surgical or medical treatment, which leaves doctors unable to save many of the injured who are dying due to lack of care", he said.
Awad added that "the bodies of the martyrs are lying on the ground in the hospital corridors after the morgue reached full capacity. The situation is catastrophic in every sense of the word."
Israel imposed an aid blockade on the Gaza Strip on March 2 after talks to prolong a six-week ceasefire broke down.
The resulting shortages of food and medicine have aggravated an already dire situation in the Palestinian territory, although Israel has dismissed UN warnings that a potential famine looms.
Medical charity Medecins du Monde said Tuesday that acute malnutrition in Gaza has "reached levels comparable to those seen in countries facing prolonged humanitarian crises spanning several decades".
Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18, and the government approved plans to expand the offensive earlier this month, with officials talking of retaining a long-term presence in the Palestinian territory.
Israel says that its renewed bombardments are aimed at forcing Hamas to free hostages.
Following a short pause in air strikes during the release of US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander on Monday, Israel resumed pounding Gaza, killing 28 people in a strike near a hospital in Khan Yunis, according to civil defence agency figures.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the military would enter Gaza "with full force" in the coming days, despite ongoing ceasefire efforts.
Negotiations for the release of the remaining hostages have been ongoing, with the latest talks taking place in the Qatari capital of Doha.
The negotiations come as US President Donald Trump tours Gulf countries including Qatar.
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack, 57 remain in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead. Hamas is also holding the body of an Israeli soldier killed during a previous war in Gaza, in 2014.
The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 52,908 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, which the United Nations considers reliable.
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DW
2 days ago
- DW
Gaza civilians struggle as aid fails to reach north – DW – 06/03/2025
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Residents in the north are also watching with horror at the news of almost daily killings of people trying to reach food distribution sites in southern Gaza. These sites are run by a private American-Israeli company called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and secured by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private US-backed aid group, recently started operating in Gaza Image: AFP/Getty Images The United Nations and other humanitarian organizations have rejected the new food distribution system, arguing that it would be unable to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants and would allow Israel to use food as a means of controlling the population. There are no distribution sites in northern Gaza and for people in the north it would be too far and dangerous to get to them. The UN said it is permitted to bring in a limited number of trucks with flour, which is only allowed by Israel to be distributed to bakeries, as well as some other supplies, such as medical items and baby food. UN-OCHA speaks of 'deprivation by design' "It is engineered scarcity," said Jonathan Whittall, head of UN-OCHA, in a briefing with journalists in Jerusalem last week, adding that aid should reach all civilians wherever they are — and should not be limited. "This new scheme is surveillance-based rationing that legitimizes a policy of deprivation by design. And it comes at a time when people in Gaza, half of whom are children, are facing a crisis of survival." There is a widespread shortage of food as well as clean water and cooking gas. People resort to burning rubbish or pieces of wood salvaged from bombed-out buildings to cook. 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There were no instructions about the number, no checks, or anything," Muhammad Qishta said by phone, adding that the boxes contained rice, sugar, flour, halva (sweet sesame paste), oil, biscuits, and pasta. "Since there were no clear instructions about which streets to take to get in and out of the area, some people entered streets they didn't know were off-limits, and there was gunfire. I ran quickly and didn't see anything, but I heard the sound of gunfire," 30-year-old Qishta said. In Sheikh Radwan in northern Gaza, Hazem Lubbad and his relatives are staying put. They do not want to leave their area because "everywhere is the same bad situation. Everywhere is dangerous." Explosions are ongoing in Gaza — as are food shortages Image: Amir Cohen/REUTERS For now, Lubbad said they have also resorted to grinding pasta and lentils to make bread. "We make 20 pieces of pita bread daily and divide them among 13 people. Each person gets one or two pieces of bread per day. This helps us until we find something else to eat." Until recently, they were also able to buy dukkah, a spice mixture used as a dip for bread, but it is running low. The canned food they stocked up on when it was available has also run out, Lubbad said. "For the children, it is extremely difficult," he said. "One meal a day is simply not enough, but there is no food for more than one meal." Hazem Balousha contributed reporting Edited by: Jess Smee
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2 days ago
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Sudan: 5 killed in attack on aid convoy, UN says – DW – 06/03/2025
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Int'l Business Times
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Saudi Arabia Advances Cancer Care with Potential Approval of Multikine Immunotherapy
In a pivotal development in cancer care, Saudi Arabia may become the first country in the world to approve CEL-SCI Corporation 's investigational immunotherapy, Multikine, for commercial use in treating head and neck cancer. The US-based biotech company has submitted an application to the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) for Breakthrough Medicine Designation, a fast-track regulatory pathway that could make Multikine available to patients as early as this summer. This move comes after favorable engagement between CEL-SCI and SFDA reviewers announced in April of this year, positioning Saudi Arabia at the forefront of global innovation in oncology. If approved, Multikine would represent a new era in immuno-oncology by becoming the first neoadjuvant (pre-surgical) immunotherapy available for advanced primary head and neck cancer. The Unmet Need in Head and Neck Cancer Head and neck cancers (HNCs) account for 5% of all cancer cases in Saudi Arabia, which is around 650–700 new cases every year. Mostly affecting men attributed to tobacco use, including cigarettes, shisha, and smokeless tobacco like shamma . In the southern provinces like Jazan, shamma use is linked to high oral cancer rates, including among women. Head and neck cancers are often diagnosed at advanced stages, with 80% or more of patients having lymph node involvement at diagnosis. The most common subtypes in the Kingdom are oral cavity and nasopharyngeal carcinomas. Despite advances in surgery and radiation, 5-year survival rates have plateaued at 50%, so there is a big need for more effective first-line treatment options. The Science Behind Multikine Multikine (Leukocyte Interleukin, Injection) is a unique immunotherapeutic biologic composed of a carefully calibrated mix of natural cytokines derived from activated human white blood cells. Unlike checkpoint inhibitors used in later-stage cancers, Multikine is designed to be administered before surgery, while the patient's immune system is still intact and the tumor is present as a target. In CEL-SCI's global Phase III trial , the largest ever conducted in head and neck cancer, Multikine demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in five-year survival rates for a defined patient subgroup: those treated with surgery followed by radiation but not chemotherapy. Among these patients, five-year survival improved from 48.6% to 62.7%, effectively cutting the risk of death nearly in half. Multikine also showed strong safety results, with no late toxicities reported and notable improvements in patient-reported quality of life. Some patients experienced complete tumor regression before surgery, supporting the idea that Multikine may sensitize tumors to subsequent standard treatments. Alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 The approval of Multikine fits perfectly into Saudi Vision 2030 , the national framework for economic diversification and innovation that includes transforming the healthcare and biotech sectors. Central to this transformation is the localization of pharmaceutical manufacturing, attracting clinical research, and becoming a regional hub for medical innovation. The SFDA's Breakthrough Medicine Designation, modeled after similar programs in the U.S. and EU, is a direct byproduct of this strategy. It aims to expedite the approval of therapies that show significant clinical promise in addressing unmet medical needs. By targeting a cancer type with limited first-line advancements, Multikine qualifies as a prime candidate for such accelerated evaluation. Saudi Arabia has also shown leadership in adopting advanced oncology treatments. The country recently became the first in the region to manufacture CAR-T cell therapies domestically, reducing costs and access times for blood cancer patients. The addition of Multikine would continue this trend of delivering next-generation therapeutics within the Kingdom. Oncology Infrastructure Ready for Innovation Saudi Arabia's oncology infrastructure has matured significantly over the last decade. Institutions like King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC), King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), and Princess Noorah Oncology Center are now equipped with the latest technologies, including proton therapy and precision diagnostics. These institutions routinely adopt new cancer treatments and maintain specialized head and neck cancer teams composed of ENT surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, and rehabilitation professionals. The availability of multidisciplinary tumor boards and growing use of tele-oncology services further support the clinical integration of innovative therapies like Multikine. The Ministry of Health's e-Platform for oncology consultations ensures that even patients in remote regions can access national expertise, which is an essential element as the country decentralizes specialist care under the Vision 2030 framework. Regional and Global Impact If Saudi Arabia approves Multikine in 2025, it will not only be a therapeutic breakthrough for patients but also a model for fast-tracking drug development in the MENA region. CEL-SCI has already announced plans to partner with a local manufacturer in the Kingdom to supply Multikine across the Middle East and North Africa. The implications go beyond geography. An early Saudi approval will strengthen CEL-SCI's case for conditional approvals in other jurisdictions, including Canada and the EU, where the company has filed parallel regulatory submissions. What's Ahead Multikine's journey of over a decade of clinical development is the potential of immunotherapy to improve survival in areas where there are few options. Saudi Arabia's regulatory and clinical leadership may now be the launchpad for this innovation. For patients newly diagnosed with head and neck cancer in the Kingdom, this means more than hope. It soon means potential access.
