'What did they do to be burned and bombed?': Charity calls on UK to offer Gaza children life-saving treatment
Warning: This article contains images readers may find distressing
The co-founder of Project Pure Hope told Sky News it was way past the time for words.
"Now, we need action," Omar Dinn said.
He's identified two children inside who urgently need help and is appealing to the UK government to issue visas as a matter of urgency.
Israel-Gaza latest:
Britain has taken only two patients from Gaza for medical treatment in 20 months of Israeli bombardment.
"Most of the people affected by this catastrophe that's unfolding in Gaza are children," he continued. "And children are the most vulnerable.
"They have nothing to do with the politics, and we really just need to see them for what they are.
"They are children, just like my children, just like everybody's children in this country - and we have the ability to help them."
Sky News has been sent video blogs from British surgeons working in Gaza right now which show the conditions and difficulties they're working under.
They prepare for potential immediate evacuation whilst facing long lists, mainly of children, needing life-saving emergency treatment day after day.
Dr Victoria Rose told us: "Every time I come, I say it's really bad, but this is on a completely different scale now. It's mass casualties. It's utter carnage.
"We are incapable of getting through this volume. We don't have the personnel. We don't have the medical supplies. And we really don't have the facilities.
"We are the last standing hospital in the south of Gaza. We really are on our knees now."
One of her patients is three-year-old Hatem, who was badly burned when an Israeli airstrike hit the family apartment.
His pregnant mother and father were both killed, leaving him an orphan. He has 35 percent burns on his small body.
"It's a massive burn for a little guy like this," Dr Rose says. "He's so adorable. His eyelids are burnt. His hands are burnt. His feet are burnt."
Hatem's grandfather barely leaves his hospital bedside. Hatem Senior told us: "What did these children do wrong to suffer such injuries? To be burned and bombed? We ask God to grant them healing."
The second child identified by the charity is Karam, who, aged one, is trying to survive in a tent in deeply unhygienic surroundings with a protruding intestine.
He's suffering from a birth defect called Hirschsprung disease, which could be easily operated on with the right skills and equipment - unavailable to him in Gaza right now.
Read more:
Karam's mother Manal told our Gaza camera crew: "No matter how much I describe how much my son is suffering, I wouldn't be able to describe it enough. I swear I am constantly crying."
Children are among the bulk of casualties - some 16,000 have been killed, according to the latest figures from local health officials - and make up the majority of those being operated on, according to the British surgical team on the ground.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
26 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Western countries speak of a future Palestinian state as the nightmare unfolding in Gaza worsens
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Plans announced by France, the United Kingdom and Canada to recognize a Palestinian state won't bring one about anytime soon, though they could further isolate Israel and strengthen the Palestinians' negotiating position over the long term. The problem for the Palestinians is that there may not be a long term. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects Palestinian statehood and has vowed to maintain open-ended control over annexed east Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and the war-ravaged Gaza Strip — territories Israel seized in the 1967 war that the Palestinians want for their state. Israeli leaders favor the outright annexation of much of the West Bank, where Israel has already built well over 100 settlements housing over 500,000 Jewish settlers. Israel's offensive in Gaza has reduced most of it to a smoldering wasteland and is pushing it toward famine , and Israel says it is pressing ahead with plans to relocate much of its population of some 2 million to other countries . The United States, the only country with any real leverage over Israel, has taken its side . Critics say these countries could do much more Palestinians have welcomed international support for their decades-long quest for statehood but say there are more urgent measures Western countries could take if they wanted to pressure Israel. 'It's a bit odd that the response to daily atrocities in Gaza, including what is by all accounts deliberate starvation , is to recognize a theoretical Palestinian state that may never actually come into being,' said Khaled Elgindy, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. 'It looks more like a way for these countries to appear to be doing something,' he said. Fathi Nimer, a policy fellow at Al-Shabaka, a Palestinian think tank, says they could have suspended trade agreements with Israel, imposed arms embargoes or other sanctions. 'There is a wide tool set at the disposal of these countries, but there is no political will to use it,' he said. It's not a completely empty gesture Most countries in the world recognized Palestinian statehood decades ago, but Britain and France would be the third and fourth permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to do so, leaving the U.S. as the only holdout. 'We're talking about major countries and major Israeli allies,' said Alon Pinkas, an Israeli political analyst and former consul general in New York. 'They're isolating the U.S. and they're leaving Israel dependent — not on the U.S., but on the whims and erratic behavior of one person, Trump.' Recognition could also strengthen moves to prevent annexation, said Hugh Lovatt, an expert on the conflict at the European Council on Foreign Relations. The challenge, he said, 'is for those recognizing countries to match their recognition with other steps, practical steps.' It could also prove significant if Israel and the Palestinians ever resume the long-dormant peace process, which ground to a halt after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to office in 2009. 'If and when some kind of negotiations do resume, probably not in the immediate future, but at some point, it puts Palestine on much more equal footing,' said Julie Norman, a professor of Middle East politics at University College London. 'It has statehood as a starting point for those negotiations, rather than a certainly-not-assured endpoint.' Israel calls it a reward for violence Israel's government and most of its political class were opposed to Palestinian statehood long before Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack triggered the war. Netanyahu says creating a Palestinian state would reward Hamas and eventually lead to an even larger Hamas-run state on Israel's borders. Hamas leaders have at times suggested they would accept a state on the 1967 borders but the group remains formally committed to Israel's destruction. Western countries envision a future Palestinian state that would be democratic but also led by political rivals of Hamas who accept Israel and help it suppress the militant group, which won parliamentary elections in 2006 and seized power in Gaza the following year. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose authority administers parts of the occupied West Bank, supports a two-state solution and cooperates with Israel on security matters. He has made a series of concessions in recent months , including announcing the end to the Palestinian Authority's practice of providing stipends to the families of prisoners held by Israel and slain militants. Such measures, along with the security coordination, have made it deeply unpopular with Palestinians, and have yet to earn it any favors from Israel or the Trump administration. Israel says Abbas is not sincerely committed to peace and accuses him of tolerating incitement and militancy. Lovatt says there is much to criticize about the PA, but that 'often the failings of the Palestinian leadership are exaggerated in a way to relieve Israel of its own obligations.' The tide may be turning, but not fast enough If you had told Palestinians in September 2023 that major countries were on the verge of recognizing a state, that the U.N.'s highest court had ordered Israel to end the occupation , that the International Criminal Court had ordered Netanyahu's arrest , and that prominent voices from across the U.S. political spectrum were furious with Israel, they might have thought their dream of statehood was at hand. But those developments pale in comparison to the ongoing war in Gaza and smaller but similarly destructive military offensives in the West Bank. Israel's military victories over Iran and its allies have left it the dominant and nearly unchallenged military power in the region, and Trump is the strongest supporter it has ever had in the White House. 'This (Israeli) government is not going to change policy,' Pinkas said. 'The recognition issue, the ending of the war, humanitarian aid — that's all going to have to wait for another government.' ___ Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
US and Allies Accuse Iran of Assassination, Kidnapping
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States and 13 allied nations have issued a joint statement accusing Iran's intelligence services of carrying out assassination attempts, abductions, and harassment campaigns targeting individuals across Europe and North America. Governments including France, Germany, Canada, and Britain joined the U.S. in condemning Tehran's alleged extraterritorial actions, labeling them a violation of national sovereignty. In response, the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the allegations as "baseless and ridiculous." Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department and Iran's Foreign Ministry for comment. Why It Matters The coordinated statement represents one of the strongest multilateral rebukes of Iran's intelligence activities to date. It highlights growing international alarm over Tehran's alleged willingness to use foreign-based criminal networks to silence its critics abroad. Following the 12-day war between Israel and Iran as well as U.S. airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear sites, the joint statement reflects mounting concern over Tehran's regional behavior and nuclear ambitions. It also underscores fears that Iran's operations now extend beyond the Middle East as part of a wider global campaign. Basij militants, wearing military uniforms, hold a variety of rifles and the flags of Hezbollah and Iran during a parade of an alleged 110,000 paramilitary Basij and IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) forces in downtown... Basij militants, wearing military uniforms, hold a variety of rifles and the flags of Hezbollah and Iran during a parade of an alleged 110,000 paramilitary Basij and IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) forces in downtown Tehran, Iran, on January 10, 2025. MoreWhat To Know The signatory nations accused Iran of systematically targeting journalists, dissidents, and current and former government officials—particularly those critical of the regime—in a coordinated campaign of violence and intimidation. "We are united in our opposition to the attempts of Iranian intelligence services to kill, kidnap, and harass people in Europe and North America," the joint statement said. The U.S. State Department posted the joint statement on X, amplifying the message to a global audience. We all agree: Iran must stop targeting our citizens on our own soil. — Tammy Bruce (@statedeptspox) July 31, 2025 Assassination Attempts The U.S. Justice Department in 2023 indicted three individuals tied to a European criminal network accused of plotting to assassinate a dissident Iranian-American journalist on behalf of Tehran. Later that year, another man was charged over an alleged Iranian plot to kill then-U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump. British authorities reported disrupting over 20 Iran-linked plots since early 2022, including attempted kidnappings and assassinations of individuals considered threats by Tehran—some of them British citizens. Dutch officials said they foiled a 2024 plan to assassinate an Iranian national in the Netherlands. Two suspects were arrested, one of whom was also linked to the attempted shooting of a Spanish politician. Iran Rejects Allegations Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei dismissed the accusations as "baseless and ridiculous," calling the claims a brazen attempt to deflect blame and shift public attention away from what he described as "Israeli genocidal crimes in Palestine." He further rejected the security-related claims and turned the accusations back on the West, asserting that the U.S., France, and other signatories should "be held accountable for the measures in violation of the international law." Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei holds a weekly press conference in Tehran on October 28, 2024. Israel on October 26 launched air strikes on military sites in Iran, risking further regional escalation more than... Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei holds a weekly press conference in Tehran on October 28, 2024. Israel on October 26 launched air strikes on military sites in Iran, risking further regional escalation more than a year into the Gaza war and a month into the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon. MoreWhat People Are Saying Joint statement by the United States and 13 allies: "We are united in our opposition to the attempts of Iranian intelligence services to kill, kidnap, and harass people in Europe and North America in clear violation of our sovereignty." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei: "The U.S., France and the other countries that have signed the anti-Iranian statement must themselves be held accountable for the measures in violation of the international law in support of terrorism as the sponsors and hosts of the terrorist and violent elements and groups." What Happens Next With nuclear talks stalled and regional conflict escalating after the Iran-Israel war, Western governments may push for stronger diplomatic and legal measures against Tehran, as concerns mount over its expanding global intelligence operations.
CNN
28 minutes ago
- CNN
France halts all evacuations from Gaza over alleged antisemitic reposts by Palestinian student
The French government will deport a Gaza student accused of reposting alleged antisemitic content on her social media and halt all evacuations from the territory, the country's foreign minister said Friday as outrage grows over her reposts. 'She must leave the country. She does not have a place in France,' Jean-Noël Barrot said in an interview with radio station France Info, without saying if authorities would return the student back to Gaza. The foreign minister did not name the woman, who has also been expelled from her university in the northern French city of Lille. The incident has sparked a political firestorm, dominating French news coverage with the interior minister saying her content amounts to 'Hamas propaganda.' The French and Israeli vetting of her before she arrived in France did not reveal the 'antisemitic and unacceptable' posts, Barrot said, adding that all French evacuations from Gaza would now be suspended pending the results of an inquiry into the case. France has evacuated hundreds of people from Gaza since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, and just last Tuesday Barrot said France was 'dedicating lots of energy,' to get starving journalists from French news agency AFP out of the enclave. The foreign ministry has yet to say if these evacuations will continue. Barrot added that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is 'inhumane,' describing it as a 'scandal that must stop immediately.' The woman's university, Sciences Po Lille, did not specify the posts that drew controversy, but said the content was 'in direct contradiction' with its values. '(Sciences Po Lille) fights against all forms of racism, antisemitism, and discrimination, as well as against any type of call to hatred, against any population whatsoever,' the university said on X on Wednesday. The college said it had annulled the student's enrolment after consulting with several government agencies including the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, whose minister called the student's alleged comments 'extreme.' 'France does not have to welcome international students who advocate for terrorism, crimes against humanity, and antisemitism. Whether they come from Gaza or elsewhere, international students holding or relaying such statements have no place in our country,' the minister, Philippe Baptiste, wrote on X. Other senior ministers echoed the outrage at the student's posts and said the matter had been referred to the judicial authorities.
