North Gaza's only operating hospital evacuated after Israeli order
The last hospital providing health services in the North Gaza governorate has ceased operations following an immediate evacuation order from the Israeli military, according to the facility's director. Dr. Mohammed Salha told the BBC that patients were evacuated from al-Awda hospital in Jabalia on Thursday evening after enduring 'two weeks of siege,' leaving the region without any functioning health facilities.
There is now 'no health facility working in the north,' he said.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have not responded to requests for comment.
Dr. Salha described the evacuation as a difficult decision, prompted by threats from Israeli forces to either enter and kill those inside or bomb the hospital. 'We were thinking of the lives of patients and our staff,' he said.
The hospital endured intense shelling from tanks starting around noon local time. Despite initial resistance to evacuate due to the presence of critical patients, after seven hours of negotiations, the evacuation began. Patients were carried over 300 meters to ambulances, as surrounding roads were heavily damaged.
Videos from hospital staff showed ambulances and vehicles departing the facility at sunset and travelling through Jabalia after dark. Patients were transferred to al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Dr. Salha noted plans to provide some services through a primary health centre in Gaza City and possibly establish another in a shelter.
Israel continues its military operations in Gaza, with at least 72 people reported killed in strikes over the past 24 hours, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. The hospital had been under siege multiple times and hit by strikes damaging vital facilities and supplies.
UN agencies report that most primary healthcare centres in Gaza are partially or fully non-functional. Only 61 out of 158 primary healthcare centres and nine out of 27 UN Palestinian refugee agency health centres remain operational.
The UN has condemned looting of medical aid at a field hospital in central Gaza. UN Secretary-General António Guterres's spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said armed individuals looted warehouses intended for malnourished children.
UN humanitarian agencies warn that Gaza's 2.1 million residents face a 'critical risk' of famine due to the blockade restricting aid. Jens Laerke from the UN's OCHA agency described Gaza as 'the hungriest place on earth.'
France's President Emmanuel Macron called for a tougher international stance if Israel does not increase aid flow soon. Israel rejected accusations of a humanitarian blockade, countering Macron's remarks on social media.
(With inputs from from BBC)
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Business Standard
4 hours ago
- Business Standard
31 Palestinians killed near Gaza aid site, Israel denies responsibility
At least 31 people were killed and over 170 were wounded Sunday as large crowds were on their way to receive food in the Gaza Strip, health officials and witnesses said. Witnesses said Israeli forces fired toward the crowds just before dawn around a kilometre (about 1,100 yards) from an aid site run by an Israeli-backed foundation. Israel's military denied its forces fired at civilians near or within the site in the southern city of Rafah. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with procedure, said troops fired warning shots at several suspects advancing toward them overnight. The military also released drone footage it said was shot Sunday, apparently in daylight, in the southern city of Khan Younis, showing what it said were armed, masked men firing at civilians trying to collect aid. The Associated Press could not independently verify the video, and it was not clear who was being targeted. "Hamas is doing everything in its power to prevent the successful distribution of food in Gaza," the statement said. The foundation promoted by Israel and the United States said in a statement it delivered aid "without incident," and released a separate video it said was shot Sunday at the site that appeared to show people collecting aid. The AP was not able to verify the video. The foundation has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent media has no access. It was the deadliest incident yet around the new aid distribution system, which has operated for less than a week. The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement its field hospital in Rafah received 179 casualties, including women and children; 21 of them declared dead upon arrival, the majority with gunshot or shrapnel wounds. It was unclear if any of the dead were militants. "All patients said they had been trying to reach an aid distribution site," the ICRC said, calling it the highest number of "weapon-wounded" people in a single incident since the hospital was set up over a year ago. "Aid distribution has become a death trap," the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, said in a statement. In a separate statement, Israeli military chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir ordered that more aid sites be established and that troops' ground operation be expanded in unspecified parts of northern and southern Gaza. A new aid system marred by chaos Multiple witnesses have said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's sites. Before Sunday, 17 people were killed while trying to reach them, according to Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza Health Ministry's records department. The foundation says private security contractors guarding its sites have not fired on crowds. Israel's military has acknowledged firing warning shots on previous occasions. The foundation said in a statement it distributed 16 truckloads of aid early Sunday "without incident," and dismissed what it described as "false reporting about deaths, mass injuries and chaos. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to work with the new system, saying it violates humanitarian principles. The scene was horrible Thousands of people headed toward the distribution site hours before dawn. As they approached, Israeli forces ordered them to disperse and come back later, witnesses said. When the crowds reached the Flag Roundabout, around 1 km away, at around 3 am, Israeli forces opened fire, the witnesses said. "There was fire from all directions, from naval warships, from tanks and drones," said Amr Abu Teiba, who was in the crowd. He said he saw at least 10 bodies with gunshot wounds and several other wounded people, including women. People used carts to ferry the dead and wounded. "The scene was horrible," he said. Most people were shot "in the upper part of their bodies, including the head, neck and chest," said Dr Marwan al-Hams, a Health Ministry official at Nasser Hospital, where many were transferred from the Red Cross field hospital. A colleague, surgeon Khaled al-Ser, said 150 wounded people had arrived, along with 28 bodies. The hospital corridors were filled with patients, "but unlike what I have witnessed before, where most of the patients were women and children, today it was mainly men, a spokesperson with medical charity MSF, Nour Alsaqa, said in a statement. Ibrahim Abu Saoud, another witness, said the military fired from about 300 meters (yards) away. He said he saw many people with gunshot wounds, including a young man who died at the scene. "We weren't able to help him," he said. Mohammed Abu Teaima, 33, said he saw Israeli forces open fire and kill his cousin and a woman as they headed toward the distribution site. He said his cousin was shot in his chest, and his brother-in-law was among the wounded. "They opened heavy fire directly toward us," he said. An AP reporter arrived at the field hospital at around 6 am and saw dozens of wounded, including women and children. The reporter also saw crowds of people returning from the distribution point. Some carried boxes of aid, but most appeared to be empty-handed. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 31 people were killed and over 170 were wounded. This is sinful; enough with the humiliation. They humiliated us for the sake of food, said Ilham Jarghon as fellow Palestinians wept and prayed for the dead. Later Sunday, Israeli artillery shells struck tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, killing three and wounding at least 30, according to Nasser Hospital. The UN says new aid system violates humanitarian principles Israel and the US say the new system is aimed at preventing Hamas from siphoning off assistance. Israel has not provided evidence of systematic diversion, and the UN denies it has occurred. UN agencies and major aid groups say the new system allows Israel to control who receives aid and forces people to relocate to distribution sites, risking yet more mass displacement in the coastal territory. "It's essentially engineered scarcity," Jonathan Whittall, interim head in Gaza of the UN humanitarian office, said last week. The UN system has struggled to bring in aid after Israel slightly eased its nearly three-month blockade of the territory last month. The groups say Israeli restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting make it extremely difficult to deliver aid to Gaza's roughly 2 million Palestinians. Experts have warned that the territory is at risk of famine if more aid is not brought in. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. They are still holding 58 hostages, around a third believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,000 people in Hamas-run Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed vast areas, displaced around 90% of the population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid. The latest efforts at ceasefire talks appeared to stumble Saturday when Hamas said it had sought amendments to a US ceasefire proposal that Israel had approved, and the US envoy called that unacceptable. Mediators Qatar and Egypt, in a joint statement Sunday, said they continued "intensive efforts to bridge the gaps in viewpoints" and hoped for "a swift agreement for a temporary ceasefire lasting 60 days, leading to a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Alcohol brain damage? Expert says you might be suffering from it; symptoms to know
Image credits: Getty Images According to an expert, thousands of people with alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) could be going undiagnosed. ARBD is caused by consuming 35 units of alcohol per week for 5 years or more, as per research. This affects a person's ability to perform basic daily tasks as well. In an interview with BBC, Lee Caldwell, 56, who was diagnosed with ARBD in 2024 revealed that he struggled with short-term memory and impulse control. According to Professor Gareth Roderique Davies, the stigma and lack of awareness led to the disease being missed or misdiagnosed adding that adequate resources remain a challenge. Daily challenges with ARBD If left undiagnosed, patients with ARBD can end up needing long-term nursing care but with the right help, they can improve and live independently. Caldwell who was diagnosed with the disease last September said at the peak of his drinking he found it "easier to cross the road to the garage" to buy alcohol than to confront the feelings of guilt and shame associated with his habit. "The addiction became more important than living," said the former Royal Navy engineer and construction manager. He also revealed the daily challenges the disease posed remembering an instance where he couldn't find his room. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esta nueva alarma con cámara es casi regalada en Remedios De Escalada (ver precio) Verisure Undo I could see room seven, there's eight – where's nine? This lad I got on with said: 'It would help if you were in the right building – you live over there'." While long-term memory was alright, he struggled with "silly things" like remembering whether he had taken his medication and impulse control. ARBD has increased since the pandemic Image credits: Getty Images According to Sue Gwyn, the chief executive of Brynawel House post-pandemic there are more people with far more extensive brain problems due to drinking. "Even as low as 35 units of alcohol a week for maybe four or five years can impact on your brain," said Gwyn. She also added how later diagnosis of the disease is problematic as recovery becomes more difficult. "If it's not picked up the outcomes will be poorer for them, and in the most severe cases they're going to end up in long term nursing care." Therapy helps with ARBD Jan Bevan, an occupational therapist who works at Brynawel House said they see "a massive change in people by the time they leave." "Life evolved around alcohol and when they could get their next drink. But they're actually looking at a future and what's meaningful, because they'd forgotten what meaningful is." She helps people work up routines with prompts to aid their memory. Diagnosis and treatment have a long way to go Prof Davies is the co-lead of the addictions research group at the University of South Wales where work is in progress to better understand ARBD and its prevalence. He shared that he is frustrated with the lack of progress in creating clinical pathways to treatment. "In many ways Wales is leading the way in terms of recognising ARBD as an issue, but there is the road block of putting the appropriate resources in place in order to deal with it," he said. "We did some research a few years ago which suggested a prevalence of about 34 per 100,000 in south Wales, which is almost certainly a huge underestimation. "So just scaling up those figures, you're talking about thousands of people in Wales with a potential diagnosis." He also added how stigma plays a big role in people being diagnosed correctly. "Individuals who are drinking excessively may present as confused and chaotic and possibly even aggressive and that immediately means they're treated in a stigmatised way," he said. "Whereas in fact they're exhibiting signs of alcohol related brain damage. But the pathways to recovery are really, really ill defined." The Welsh government recently announced that it was investing £67m "to help people affected by drugs and alcohol, including people with alcohol related brain damage, to ensure a range of services and support is in place". "Clinical pathways are a matter for each area planning board area to determine and it is important they work closely with all appropriate organisations to ensure early identification of ARBD," added a spokesperson. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
United News of India
15 hours ago
- United News of India
31 killed by Israeli gunfire near aid center in S Gaza
Gaza, June 1 (UNI) At least 31 Palestinians were killed on Sunday by Israeli gunfire near a humanitarian aid center in southern Gaza. At least 31 people were killed and dozens of others seriously injured in the morning when Israeli forces opened fire near a humanitarian aid distribution point in Rafah, southern Gaza, where residents were gathering to receive aid, Gaza-based health authority said in a statement. Most of the injuries were in the upper body, and the death toll could rise due to the severity of the wounds, said Mohammed Abu Afash, director of the Medical Relief Organization in Gaza, adding that ambulances have difficulty reaching the scene due to ongoing Israeli military activities. Eyewitnesses told media that thousands of people had arrived at the aid center since early morning hours when gunfire and explosions erupted. Calling the incident part of a "pattern of repeated targeting" of aid distribution locations by Israel, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said in a press statement that the area was operating in coordination with an American-Israeli company and under the supervision of Israeli forces. Also on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it is unaware of injuries caused by its fire within the Humanitarian Aid distribution site, and that the matter is still under review. Israeli media cited military sources as saying that Israeli military operations in the area were aimed at targeting "terrorist elements." Israel closed border crossings and curtailed the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza on March 2. Limited access has been permitted since May 22. Israel resumed its assault on Gaza on March 18, following a two-month truce with Hamas. Since then, 4,149 Palestinians have been killed and 12,149 injured, according to Gaza-based health authorities on Sunday. UNI XC GNK
