In final wish, Pope Francis requested his popemobile to be turned into mobile health unit for children of Gaza
In a lasting expression of solidarity with the people of Palestine, Pope Francis, who passed away recently, had in his final wish asked for his popemobile to be transformed into a mobile health unit for the children of Gaza.
"It was his final wish for the people to whom he had shown such solidarity throughout his pontificate, especially in the last years. And in his final months, the Pope entrusted the initiative to Caritas Jerusalem, seeking to respond to the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where nearly one million children have been displaced," Vatican News reported.
In a press release, Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, wrote that 'with the vehicle, we will be able to reach children who today have no access to health care – children who are injured and malnourished.'
'This is a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when the health system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed', he added.
The repurposed popemobile is being outfitted with equipment for diagnosis, examination, and treatment, including rapid tests for infections, diagnostic instruments, vaccines, suture kits, and other life-saving supplies.
The mobile health unit will be staffed by doctors and medics, reaching children in the most isolated corners of Gaza once humanitarian access to the strip is restored.
According to Vatican News, the Pope had in his final months entrusted the initiative to Caritas Jerusalem, an organisation which has long served Gaza's communities under difficult conditions.
"Pope Francis often stated that 'Children are not numbers. They are faces. Names. Stories. And each one is sacred', and with this final gift, his words have become action," the report noted.
"With over one hundred staff members committed to healthcare delivery, the organisation is now building on the Pope's legacy of compassion and strength whilst bringing his final blessing to the people of Gaza," the report said.
But "it's not just a vehicle," said Peter Brune, adding that "It's a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza."
The announcement comes amid reports suggesting nearly 2,90,000 children in Gaza are on the brink of death amid Israel's two-month-long blockade of humanitarian aid into the territory.
According to Gaza's Government Media Office, more than 3,500 children below the age of five years "face imminent death by starvation" while some 70,000 children have been hospitalised in the enclave due to severe malnutrition as Israel has blocked the entry of crucial aid, including food, water, medicines and fuel, into the war ravaged territory.
'Under this systematic blockade, more than 3,500 children under the age of five face imminent death by starvation, while approximately 290,000 children are on the brink of death,' the GMO said in a statement on Sunday.
'At a time when 1.1 million children daily lack the minimum nutritional requirements for survival, this crime is being perpetrated by the 'Israeli' occupation using starvation as a weapon, amid shameful international silence,' it added.
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Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
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Palestinian health officials and witnesses say at least five people were killed and others were wounded by Israeli fire as they headed toward two aid distribution points in the Gaza Strip run by an Israeli and US-backed group. Israel's military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces. Four bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis. Palestinian witnesses there said Israeli forces had fired on them at a roundabout that is around a kilometre from a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the nearby city of Rafah. The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at people it said were suspects who had advanced toward its forces and ignored warnings to turn away. It said the shooting occurred in an area in southern Gaza that is considered an active combat zone at night. Meanwhile, Al-Awda Hospital said in a statement that it received the body of a 42-year-old man and 29 people who were wounded near another GHF aid distribution point, in central Gaza. The military said it fired warning shots in the area at around 6:40 a.m. but did not see any casualties. A GHF spokesperson said there was no violence in or around its distribution sites, all three of which delivered aid on Sunday. The group had closed them temporarily last week to discuss safety measures with the Israeli military and has warned people to stay on designated access routes. The spokesperson spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel's military has said it fired warning shots or, in some instances, near individuals approaching its forces. Witnesses said Sunday's shooting in southern Gaza occurred at around 6 a.m., when they were told the site would open. Many had headed toward it early to try and get desperately needed food before the crowds. Adham Dahman, 30, who was at Nasser Hospital with a bandage on his chin, said a tank had fired toward them. 'We didn't know how to escape," he said. "This is trap for us, not aid.' Zahed Ben Hassan, another witness, said someone next to him was shot in the head. He said that he and others pulled the body from the scene and managed to flee to the hospital. 'They said it was a safe area from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. ... So why did they start shooting at us?' he said. 'There was light out, and they have their cameras and can clearly see us.' The military had announced on Friday that the sites would be open during those hours, and that the area would be a closed military zone from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. The hubs are set up inside Israeli military zones — where independent media have no access — and are run by GHF, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups. Israel and the United States accuse the militant Hamas group of stealing aid, while the UN denies there is any systematic diversion. The UN says the new system is unable to meet mounting needs and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon by determining who can receive it and forcing people to relocate to where the aid sites are positioned. The UN system has meanwhile struggled to deliver aid — even after Israel eased its complete blockade of Gaza last month. UN officials say their efforts are hindered by Israeli military restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting. Experts warned earlier this year that Gaza was at critical risk of famine if Israel did not lift its blockade and halt its military campaign, which Israeli officials have said will continue until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Talks mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar have been deadlocked for months. In a separate development, the Israeli military accused a spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defence of being an active Hamas member, according to documents it said were recovered during operations inside Gaza. The Associated Press was not able to independently verify the documents, which purport to show that Mahmoud Bassal joined Hamas in 2005. Bassal did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Civil Defence are first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government and often are first to arrive at the scenes of Israeli strikes. Hamas started the war with its massive attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, when Palestinians militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 people hostage. They are still holding 55 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel has recovered dozens of bodies, including three in recent days, and rescued eight living hostages over the course of the war. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It has said women and children make up most of the dead but does not say how many civilians or combatants were killed. Israel says it has killed over 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 per cent of its population. The territory's roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all of Gaza's food production capabilities have been destroyed.
The Hindu
5 hours ago
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Meanwhile, Al-Awda Hospital said in a statement that it received the body of a 42-year-old man and 29 people who were wounded near another GHF aid distribution point, in central Gaza. The military said it fired warning shots in the area at around 6:40 a.m. but did not see any casualties. A GHF spokesperson said there was no violence in or around its distribution sites, all three of which delivered aid on Sunday. The group had closed them temporarily last week to discuss safety measures with the Israeli military and has warned people to stay on designated access routes. The spokesperson spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel's military has said it fired warning shots or, in some instances, near individuals approaching its forces. Witnesses said Sunday's shooting in southern Gaza occurred at around 6 a.m., when they were told the site would open. Many had headed toward it early to try and get desperately needed food before the crowds. Adham Dahman, 30, who was at Nasser Hospital with a bandage on his chin, said a tank had fired toward them. 'We didn't know how to escape," he said. "This is trap for us, not aid.' Zahed Ben Hassan, another witness, said someone next to him was shot in the head. He said that he and others pulled the body from the scene and managed to flee to the hospital. 'They said it was a safe area from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. ... So why did they start shooting at us?' he said. 'There was light out, and they have their cameras and can clearly see us.' The military had announced on Friday that the sites would be open during those hours, and that the area would be a closed military zone from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. The hubs are set up inside Israeli military zones — where independent media have no access — and are run by GHF, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups. Israel and the United States accuse the militant Hamas group of stealing aid, while the U.N. denies there is any systematic diversion. The U.N. says the new system is unable to meet mounting needs and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon by determining who can receive it and forcing people to relocate to where the aid sites are positioned. The U.N. system has meanwhile struggled to deliver aid — even after Israel eased its complete blockade of Gaza last month. U.N. officials say their efforts are hindered by Israeli military restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting. Experts warned earlier this year that Gaza was at critical risk of famine if Israel did not lift its blockade and halt its military campaign, which Israeli officials have said will continue until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Talks mediated by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been deadlocked for months. In a separate development, the Israeli military accused a spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense of being an active Hamas member, according to documents it said were recovered during operations inside Gaza. The Associated Press was not able to independently verify the documents, which purport to show that Mahmoud Bassal joined Hamas in 2005. Bassal did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Civil Defense are first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government and often are first to arrive at the scenes of Israeli strikes. Hamas started the war with its massive attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when Palestinians militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 people hostage. They are still holding 55 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel has recovered dozens of bodies, including three in recent days, and rescued eight living hostages over the course of the war. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It has said women and children make up most of the dead but does not say how many civilians or combatants were killed. Israel says it has killed over 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population. The territory's roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all of Gaza's food production capabilities have been destroyed.
Hindustan Times
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