Gaza health ministry says all public hospitals in north ‘out of service'
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Sunday that all public hospitals in the north of the territory were now 'out of service' after Israeli forces besieged the Indonesian hospital.
'The Israeli occupation has intensified its siege with heavy fire around the Indonesian hospital and its surroundings, preventing the arrival of patients, medical staff, and supplies -- effectively forcing the hospital out of service,' the ministry said.
'All public hospitals in the North Gaza governorate are now out of service,' it added.
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Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
At least 35 killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza, many near an aid site, medics say
Israeli military strikes killed at least 35 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, most of them at an aid site operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in central Gaza, local health officials said. Medical officials at Shifa and Al-Quds Hospitals said at least 25 people were killed as they approached the aid site near the former settlement of Netzarim, and dozens were wounded. Ten other people were killed in other Israeli military strikes in Khan Younis in the south of the enclave, they added. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. On Tuesday, when Gaza health officials said 17 people were killed near another GHF aid site in Rafah in southern Gaza, the army said it fired warning shots to distance 'suspects' who were approaching the troops and posed a threat. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday there had been 'significant progress' in efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, but that it was 'too soon' to raise hopes that a deal would be reached. Despite efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to restore a ceasefire in Gaza, neither Israel nor Hamas has shown willingness to back down on core demands, with each side blaming the other for the failure to reach a deal. Two Hamas sources told Reuters they did not know about any new ceasefire offers. The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in an October 7, 2023, attack, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign has since killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave.
Arab News
14 hours ago
- Arab News
What daily life is really like for women and girls surviving under Israeli siege in Gaza
DUBAI: Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, more than 28,000 women and girls have been killed — an average of one every hour — according to UN Women, making the besieged Palestinian enclave one of the most dangerous places in the world to be female. Thousands more have been injured and nearly a million displaced. As food, water and basic healthcare become increasingly scarce under Israeli blockade, survival has turned into a daily struggle — and women and girls are bearing the brunt. According to a group of independent UN human rights experts, nearly 13,000 women in Gaza are now the heads of their households, often caring for children without adequate shelter or essential supplies. On May 21, experts issued an urgent appeal to the UN Security Council, condemning what they described as Israel's 'unprecedented assault' on Gaza's civilian population — and warning of its particularly devastating impact on Palestinian women and girls. 'The devastation experienced by women, girls and entire communities is not incidental — it is the consequence of intentional policies and actions by Israel,' they said. 'The killings of thousands of women and girls may constitute the deliberate infliction of conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction, in whole or in part, of the Palestinian people.' Israeli forces launched military operations in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which 1,200 people — mostly civilians — were killed and about 250 others, many non-Israelis, were taken hostage. Since then, at least 56,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to local health officials. Israel maintains that it does not deliberately target civilians and accuses Hamas of using Gaza's population as human shields. The crisis has been compounded by repeated Israeli blockades on humanitarian aid and commercial goods, pushing the territory into famine and prompting accusations that food is being weaponized. Despite ongoing international attempts to broker a ceasefire, the conflict has devastated the enclave, triggering one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. 'More than two-thirds of Gaza's population, about 1.7 million people, are now estimated to be crammed into an area of 69 sq. km — less than a fifth of the Strip,' Hadeel Qazzaz, Oxfam MENA's regional gender coordinator, told Arab News. In overcrowded tents and displacement camps, privacy is almost nonexistent. Care responsibilities have increased for women, and water shortages are taking a disproportionate toll. 'From queuing for hours in the heat for water to facing daily health risks due to lack of proper sanitation, the lack of clean and safe latrines is leading to serious health issues, including infections among women,' said Qazzaz. At displacement sites reached by Oxfam in May 2024, water points were reportedly located up to a kilometer away. Women and girls were spending up to three hours a day collecting water — compared to 1.7 hours for men and boys. But water is only part of the problem. Food insecurity presents another growing threat. Nine out of 10 displacement sites show visible signs of malnutrition among residents, with female-headed households among the most vulnerable. 'Women are skipping meals so their children can eat,' said Qazzaz. 'Many are putting their own health at risk to keep their families going. When food parcels arrive, women often eat last — or not at all.' An estimated 71,000 children and 17,000 women are expected to require urgent treatment for acute malnutrition in the coming weeks, highlighting the scale of the emergency and the desperate need for sustained aid access. 'Even when food is available, women often have to cook on open fires due to fuel shortages — exposing them to health risks and doubling the time needed to prepare a meal,' said Qazzaz. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are especially at risk, with many becoming dangerously undernourished. Since October 2023, Gaza has seen a 300 percent increase in miscarriages. Premature births and maternal deaths have surged, with many women forced to give birth without proper medical support. 'Maternal care is nearly nonexistent,' said Qazzaz. 'Women are giving birth in tents, without skilled help, clean supplies or even pain relief.' These accounts are echoed by medical workers on the ground. 'The situation in Gaza is precarious for everyone, but especially for pregnant women,' Denise Potvin, a Canadian nursing activity manager with Medecins Sans Frontieres at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, told Arab News. 'Over the past weeks, we've seen malnutrition steadily increase. It's very visible — there's a huge vulnerability for pregnant and lactating women. The small amount of food entering Gaza through aid crossings is nowhere near enough to meet the needs of this population.' Maternity departments are seeing more women arriving late — after giving birth at home — or showing up in emergency rooms because they couldn't reach a hospital in time. 'Colleagues, including midwives and health professionals, are being woken up in the middle of the night to assist in home deliveries because women simply cannot reach hospitals,' said Potvin. 'Constant displacement, insecurity and lack of transport make it incredibly difficult for pregnant women to access care.' Routine antenatal check-ups have become nearly impossible to access. With clinics shutting down, the ability to detect or treat complications has all but vanished. 'The space that organizations operate in is decreasing by the day,' said Potvin. 'More people are displaced, and it's harder to meet the growing needs of the population.' She called on the international community to recognize the extreme vulnerability of pregnant women under siege. 'Imagine being a pregnant woman in this situation — living in a tent, unable to access prenatal care, giving birth without medical help, while also trying to feed your family, find clean water and maintain basic hygiene,' she said. 'Daily survival is already a huge challenge, and pregnancy only adds to it.' Reports from UN Women, the UN Population Fund and independent rights monitors paint an increasingly bleak picture. Women and girls with disabilities face even greater risks, including neglect, violence and denial of basic services. From bombardment to birth complications, period poverty to famine, every aspect of life has been made much harder. With 90 percent of households facing extreme water shortages, women and girls struggle to manage menstruation without access to clean water, soap, sanitary pads or private spaces. • 28k Women and girls killed since October 2023. • 1m Women and girls displaced by the conflict. • 13k Women who are now single heads of households. • 17k Pregnant and breastfeeding women deemed acutely malnourished. Source: UN Around 700,000 women and girls of menstruating age — many experiencing their first periods — are facing these challenges in shelters and displacement camps. A rapid gender analysis by Oxfam found that 690,000 menstruating women and girls lack access to clean facilities and sufficient water for basic hygiene. Each person is allocated just 6.6 liters of water a day — less than half the global emergency minimum. Toilets are unsanitary, overcrowded and often unsafe for women and girls, with up to 1,000 people sharing a single facility. The Oxfam report warned: 'Girls are vulnerable to harassment and abuse and resort to using old clothes or only their underwear when sanitary pads are unavailable' — a situation that has led to infections, maternal complications and even infant deaths. Despite the immense logistical challenges, the UN Population Fund continues to address urgent sexual and reproductive health needs. Since October 2023, it has distributed two-month supplies of disposable menstrual pads to more than 300,000 women and girls. More than 12,000 new mothers have received postpartum kits for recovery in conditions where professional care is almost impossible. To help women regain a sense of dignity and autonomy, the agency has also provided cash and voucher assistance to more than 150,000 women and girls, enabling them to buy essential hygiene items like soap, towels, pads, and underwear amid severe shortages. These relentless hardships — from caregiving and hunger to hygiene struggles in unsafe conditions — are taking a psychological toll. Mental health issues are on the rise, with mounting reports of stress, anxiety and depression among women and girls. With Gaza's education system in collapse, many girls have become full-time caregivers for their younger siblings. 'Girls are being more deeply affected,' said Qazzaz. 'The war has pushed many out of school and into caregiving roles. Some are being forced into early marriages as families try to reduce economic burdens.' As household tensions rise, so too does gender-based violence. Experts say only a ceasefire would offer immediate relief to the women and girls of Gaza. 'Even a temporary end to the violence would offer critical psychological relief for women carrying enormous emotional and caregiving burdens,' said Qazzaz. 'It would give families a chance to breathe, regroup, and begin to heal.' A truce would also help restore access to hospitals, allow medical teams to resume work, and ensure that essential aid — from food and medicine to hygiene supplies — reaches those in need. Meanwhile, the independent UN experts have issued a stark warning about the wider implications of the conflict. 'In Gaza, the rules of engagement and fundamental protections owed to civilians have been intentionally, persistently and flagrantly violated,' they said. 'If the Security Council fails to confront this profound breakdown in compliance and accountability, and what it means for humanity and multilateralism, the very foundations of international law risk becoming meaningless."
Arab News
15 hours ago
- Arab News
Health in space: crucial for Saudi Arabia's journey beyond Earth
We are now closer to the vastness of space than ever before. More nations are expressing interest and participating in space activities. Additionally, more astronauts are venturing into space, with exploration no longer limited to select countries but opening up to many nations and even individuals. Public-private partnerships are transforming the space sector, with companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic offering opportunities for private citizens to travel to space. Increasing international collaboration is also playing a key role. Saudi Arabia's first mission took the first Muslim and Arab astronaut, Prince Sultan bin Salman, into space aboard NASA's Discovery Shuttle. More recently, Ali Al-Qarni and Rayyanah Barnawi — the first female Arab in space — participated in the Axiom-2 mission. Saudi Arabia is also a signatory to the Artemis Accords, along with more than 50 other nations, paving the way for deep space and lunar missions and research. International cooperation is expanding opportunities for other countries as well; Pakistan was recently announced as the first foreign nation to have a citizen conduct research on China's space station. Being an international space medicine and health educator, mentor, and researcher, I would like to highlight that a critical prerequisite at the core of all future human missions is the health and well-being of the humans in space. This is especially important as Saudi Arabia advances its space sector, furthering research and its astronaut program in support of Vision 2030. In my recent publication in one of the world's distinguished scientific journals, I focused on keeping astronauts healthy in space. It highlights the human physiological, health, and psychological challenges inherent in space. The publication also explores the specific complexities of deep space environments, where scientific understanding of human health, sustained radiation exposure, and other unprecedented difficulties remains notably limited. Key challenges in deep space missions include studies showing significantly higher daily radiation exposure on the lunar and Martian surfaces compared to Earth. We must also develop innovative approaches for healthcare delivery in space. Traditionally reliant on telemedicine and Earth-based support, such systems face major limitations due to communication delays — with signals between Mars and Earth taking up to 20 minutes one way — making Earth-dependent care inefficient in medical emergencies. One solution is to incorporate advanced artificial intelligence for autonomous medical assistance, a domain in which Saudi Arabia is actively investing through initiatives like its National Strategy for Data and AI. Another key area of concern is the mood and mental health challenges. Human missions to Mars will face many stressors, including the long duration away from loved ones, with the trip itself taking around 7–10 months in a confined space. I have heard some find it tiring to drive from Jeddah to Riyadh in a car for almost 10 hours — so how would you feel being stuck in that limited space non-stop for 10 months? Reflecting on confined space, I am reminded of Prince Sultan's quote about his mission: 'You miss space most in space.' My deep interest and experience in space medicine and health originate from a foundational conviction — reinforced by being a medical doctor, academic, and space medicine educator and researcher — that the optimal health of astronauts will always take precedence in any human space mission, regardless of how advanced our engineering, policies, or propulsion systems are. If an astronaut's health is compromised, even the most technologically advanced mission will be put on hold. No crewed space mission would receive approval until we ensure astronauts' health and well-being can be maintained throughout the mission. Consequently, space medicine, life sciences, and health are not merely significant; they are absolutely indispensable for Saudi Arabia's future in space. For these reasons, I strongly recommend that Saudi Arabia prioritize developing its own robust capabilities in this field. Establishing national capacity in this critical domain is crucial for future endeavors, and I am ready to bring my expertise to help develop and drive this vision forward. — Dr. Farhan M. Asrar is a Canadian physician, academic, and space medicine researcher. He is associate dean at Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Medicine and holds senior faculty/leadership roles at the University of Toronto and International Space University.
