Ten children queuing for food among 16 killed in Israeli strike in Gaza
©Reuters
Sixteen Palestinians, including ten children and six adults, were killed in an Israeli airstrike while queuing for nutritional supplements in front of a clinic in central Gaza, a hospital says.
Verified video footage from the strike in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip showed the bodies of women and children lying in pools of blood amid dust and screaming. The strike happened just outside the Altayara health clinic run by US-based Project Hope.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Ballymaguire Foods appoints public health expert after listeria-linked meal recall
Ballymaguire Foods, which produced more than 170 prepared meals and side dishes recalled due to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes, has appointed a public health expert to lead its response to the situation. On Wednesday, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said its National Control Team was investigating an outbreak of listeriosis linked to the recall of over 170 ready meals sold in supermarkets nationwide. On Thursday, Ballymaguire Foods confirmed it had appointed Dr Patrick Wall, former Chief Executive of the FSAI and former Chairperson of the European Food Safety Authority, to lead its response team. The company said it was treating the matter with "the utmost seriousness." It stated that its priority has been "a swift, responsible, health-led response, and remains so," adding that, as a precaution, all products have been withdrawn and clear consumer information has been shared with its retail partners. "We suspended all production and have taken corrective actions, including a full pharmaceutical-grade clean-down of the site." A company spokesperson added: "The team has a singular focus: to fully and effectively resolve this matter. It is doing so in close collaboration with the relevant public health authorities. Production at the affected facility will only recommence once the relevant authorities are satisfied." Nine cases have been linked to the outbreak so far, and one adult has died with a confirmed case of the rare bacterial infection. Earlier on Wednesday, the FSAI issued an expanded recall of over 170 ready meals and side dishes sold at Tesco, SuperValu, Aldi, and Centra due to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The meals were produced by Dublin-based Ballymaguire Foods. Affected products include pasta bakes, curries, lasagne, turkey and ham dinners, pasta Bolognese, beef stroganoff, and some vegetarian dishes. The recalled items include several sold under Tesco's 'Irish Classics', 'Classic Kitchen', and 'Finest' labels, SuperValu's 'Freshly Prepared' and 'Signature Tastes' labels, and Aldi's 'Specially Selected' and 'Inspired Cuisine' labels. Some own-brand items from Tesco, SuperValu, and Centra are also included in the recall, as are products from The Happy Pear, Clean Cut Meals, and From the Farm. A full list of all the items recalled can be found here. Consumers have been advised not to eat any of the affected products and to check their fridges and freezers for implicated items and dispose of them. Ballymaguire Foods said it understands the public has questions and would continue to address them "openly and responsibly." "Where appropriate, we are referring queries to the relevant authorities. We recognise the vital role of the FSAI as the primary body in addressing public queries and its guidance to consumers on food safety and best practice. "The FSAI continues to advise the public that anyone with queries should contact it on info@ the spokesperson said. The company also apologised for the concern the recall may cause. "As we have stated, incidents of this nature are exceptionally rare and we are treating this with the utmost seriousness," the spokesperson added. "We are acting decisively and transparently to protect public health which is of paramount importance to us."
RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Situation in Gaza 'completely unbearable', says UNRWA
Senior Emergency Officer with UNRWA, the UN's Palestinian agency, Louise Wateridge, has said the situation on the ground in Gaza is "completely unbearable". Today, there are further reports of spiralling malnutrition rates among Gaza's population of more than two million people, and further deaths due to famine. Ms Wateridge described the situation at aid centres as "horror on horror," with accounts of people stepping over dead bodies to try to get some food and returning with nothing. She said the lack of access to Gaza for the aid waiting to enter and Israel's restrictions on it are the problem. "UNRWA alone has 6,000 trucks waiting to get in, half of that is essential food and medical supplies. "It's about an hour away from the border; it could be there this afternoon," she said. Dozens of people have starved to death in Gaza in the last few weeks as a wave of hunger crashes on the Palestinian enclave, according to local health authorities. The World Health Organization said yesterday that 21 children under the age of five were among those who died of malnutrition so far this year. Today, the Gaza health ministry said two more people had died of malnutrition. The head of Shifa Hospital in Gaza said the two were patients suffering from other illnesses who died after going without food for several days. Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, she described her colleagues' stories as "the most horrifying experience I have ever heard anyone relay". "Most of our healthcare workers are parents themselves with starving children. "So, they are leaving their own starving children in the shelters to go to work to be a doctor, to be a nurse, to try and save other people, and other children's lives." Ms Wateridge said the worst, and "most brutal" thing is that there is nothing they can do, because they do not have what they need, like supplies of nutrients, medicines, food and water, none of which is available. She said one in 10 cases of children that UNRWA is screening daily is now "severely malnourished". She said since the ceasefire ended in March this year, cases of malnutrition have risen by "over 150%". "Now, of course, 11 weeks of total siege followed by drips and drops of some food, a lot of it through what we are describing as death-traps," a reference to the US and Israeli-backed aid system run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, "because people going to get this food are being killed," she said. Israel considering Hamas response to ceasefire Hamas has confirmed it has responded to an Israeli proposal for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, while Israel said it is examining the Palestinian militant group's proposals. It comes after more than two weeks of indirect talks in Qatar that so far has failed to yield a truce. "Hamas has just submitted its response and that of the Palestinian factions to the ceasefire proposal to the mediators," the Palestinian militant group said in a statement on Telegram. Israel said it is examining Hamas's response to a Gaza ceasefire proposal, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed. Hamas said yesterday it had submitted its response to mediators but did not disclose the content. Both sides' acknowledgement of ceasefire proposals come after a family of seven were among more than 100 people killed yesterday across 24 hours of Israeli strikes or gunfire, according to health officials. The response by Hamas included proposed amendments to clauses on the entry of aid, maps of areas from which the Israeli army should withdraw, and guarantees on securing a permanent end to the war, according to a Palestinian source familiar with ongoing talks in Doha. Negotiators from both sides have been holding indirect talks in Doha with mediators in an attempt to reach an agreement on a truce deal that would see the release of Israeli hostages. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. But the talks have dragged on for more than two weeks without a breakthrough, with each side blaming the other for refusing to budge on their key demands. For Israel, dismantling Hamas's military and governing capabilities is non-negotiable. While Hamas demands firm guarantees on a lasting truce, a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and the free flow of aid into Gaza. Israeli government spokesman David Mencer accused Hamas of obstructing talks. "Israel has agreed to the Qatari proposal and the updated (US special envoy Steve) Witkoff proposal, it is Hamas that is refusing," Mr Mencer told reporters. He added that Israel's negotiating team was still in Doha and talks were ongoing. The United States said Mr Witkoff will head to Europe this week for talks on a possible ceasefire and an aid corridor. More than 100 aid organisations warned yesterday that "mass starvation" was spreading in Gaza. Israeli forces this morning hit the central Gaza towns of Nuseirat, Deir Al-Balah and Bureij. Health officials at Al-Awda Hospital said three people were killed in an airstrike on a house in Nuseirat, three more died from tank shelling in Deir Al-Balah, and separate airstrikes in Bureij killed a man and a woman and wounded several others. Nasser hospital said three people were killed by Israeli gunfire while seeking aid in southern Gaza near the so-called Morag axis between Khan Younis and Rafah. The Israeli military said Palestinian militants had fired a projectile overnight from Khan Younis toward an aid distribution site near Morag. It was not immediately clear whether the incidents were linked. US Middle East peace envoy Steve Witkoff travelled to Europe this week for meetings on the Gaza war and a range of other issues. An Israeli official said Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer would meet Mr Witkoff tomorrow if the gaps between Israel and Hamas over the terms of a ceasefire had narrowed sufficiently. News agencies desperately concerned for journalists The meetings come as four news agencies issued a joint statement expressing major concern for their journalists who are currently operating in Gaza. AFP, Reuters, BBC News and AP said in a joint statement that they are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of the hardships endured by journalists in Gaza. "We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families. "For many months, these independent journalists have been the world's eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering," the statement said. "We once again urge the Israeli authorities to allow journalists in and out of Gaza. It is essential that adequate food supplies reach the people there." Meanwhile, UNICEF's spokesperson in Gaza Rosalia Bollen said Gaza "is really one of the most frustrating places on Earth to be working as a humanitarian. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said this is due to the constant bombardment and displacement orders. "Right now there's less than 13% of the territory that is not under displacement order or that hasn't been designated as a military zone, that affects the population, but it also affects our ability to move around and to operate and it means that the population is constantly on the move. "So the communities that we're trying to help, that we're trying to follow, they keep moving and that means that our services have to move to". She said that UN agencies are in constant contact with the Israeli Defence Forces to ensure that agency staff can move around, "to ensure that our premises are deconflicted, as we call it, especially with this latest displacement order for Deir al-Balah, which is in the centre of the Gaza Strip." She said an attack on a UN warehouse earlier this week was "is absolutely frightening". "At the moment, a warehouse is out of order, that gravely undermines humanitarian operations and their ability to bring medicines in. "So this is this is very bad news for healthcare in in Gaza, which was already really on the brink. Right now what we need is more access, more supplies, which are ready outside of Gaza. "The solution is there." The war between Israel and Hamas has been raging for nearly two years since Hamas killed some 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages from southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in the deadliest attack in Israel's history. Israel has since killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, reduced most of the territory to ruins and forced nearly the entire population to flee their homes multiple times.
Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
ieExplains: What is listeriosis, the infection linked to the recall of ready-made meals
An adult has died with a confirmed case of the rare bacterial infection listeriosis after a massive recall of ready-made meals earlier this week. Health officials are investigating an 'extensive outbreak' linked to the recall of supermarket ready meals, which were sold at retailers including Tesco, SuperValu, Aldi and Centra. Nine cases have so far been linked to the outbreak, which prompted concerns over more than 140 ready meal products sold across the country. Affected meals include pasta bakes, curries, turkey and ham dinners, pasta bolognese and beef stroganoff. The FSAI issued the recall notice this week on branded ready-made meals and side dishes produced by the Dublin-based Ballymaguire Foods due to the possible presence of listeria monocytogenes. The full list of implicated products can be found here. But what is listeriosis? Here's what you need to know. What is listeriosis? Listeriosis is an infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. According to the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), it is usually acquired by eating food contaminated with this bacterium. Listeriosis is a notifiable disease in Ireland. This means medical practitioners are required to notify health officials when there is a case of listeriosis. The notification of case is used to investigate and to prevent the spread of infection and further cases. How is listeriosis contracted? Infection occurs mainly through eating contaminated food. The incubation period ranges between three and 70 days, but the average incubation period is three weeks. If a woman eats contaminated food during pregnancy, the infection can also be passed across the placenta to the baby. Who is at greater risk? Anyone can become ill from eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, although the disease affects primarily the following groups of people: Pregnant women and their unborn children Newborns Adults with weakened immune systems The elderly How does it get into my food? Listeriosis is widespread in the environment and can be found in soil and water. The HPSC says vegetables "can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer". "Animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill, and meat or dairy products from these animals can be contaminated." Some foods, such as cheese, may also be contaminated after processing. Ready meals and listeriosis The HPSC says the foods most often associated with infection are ready-to-eat refrigerated and processed foods. These include: pre-prepared cooked and chilled meals, soft cheeses, cold cuts of meat, pâtés and smoked fish. Increasingly, outbreaks of listeriosis associated with fresh produce (particularly fresh vegetables that undergo little or no heat treatment) are being reported, the HPSC says. What are the symptoms of listeriosis? Listeriosis in a healthy adult can cause a mild flu-like illness. However, in immunocompromised and elderly individuals, it can occasionally spread to the central nervous system and cause meningitis and/or septicaemia. Symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, and loss of balance or convulsions may also occur. Infected pregnant women may have no symptoms or experience only a mild flu-like illness. But infection during pregnancy can lead to premature labour, meningitis in the newborn, or even miscarriage. How is it diagnosed? Diagnosis is usually made via a blood test. During pregnancy, a blood test is the most reliable way to find out if symptoms are due to listeriosis. How is it treated? Listeriosis can be treated with antibiotics. However, even with treatment, infection can be severe and may result in death, especially in the elderly. How can I protect myself from listeriosis? The HPSC says protecting yourself against listeriosis is particularly important for those who are most at risk: pregnant women, infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. It has listed a host of measures that will help to reduce your risk of infection: Keep foods for as short a time as possible and follow storage instructions including 'use by' and 'eat by' dates; Cook food thoroughly, especially meat, ensuring that it is cooked through to the middle; Keep uncooked meats separate from vegetables and from cooked and ready-to-eat foods; Wash salads, fruit and raw vegetables thoroughly before eating, or peel if appropriate; Wash hands, knives, and cutting boards after contact with uncooked food; Make sure that the refrigerator is working correctly; When heating food in a microwave, follow heating and standing times recommended by the manufacturer; Throw away left-over reheated food. Cooked food which is not eaten immediately should be cooled as rapidly as possible and then stored in the refrigerator; Pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems should avoid eating high-risk foods such as: raw (unpasteurised) milk or foods made from raw milk, soft or mould-ripened cheeses (e.g. feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses), pâté and smoked salmon; If contact with ewes at lambing time is unavoidable for pregnant women, the elderly, or people with weakened immune systems, washing of hands after handling animals should reduce any possibility of infection. Read More Adult dies with listeriosis as nine cases linked to recall of ready meals
