Latest news with #AbuMohamed
10-06-2025
- Health
This Palestinian boy lost his eye to an unexploded bomb. Thousands of tonnes of explosives may remain in Gaza
Mohamed Hijazi squirms as his father unwraps a bandage for him. He cries and kicks his feet, but his dad manages to eventually place the bandage over his eye. It's nothing, Abu Mohamed tells his child, in a last-ditch effort to calm him down. But the boy is inconsolable. The seven-year-old was playing outside the family home in April with his cousins in Jabalia in northern Gaza, where his family was sheltering, when the children came across a bomb that hadn't detonated. It exploded in front of him, Abu Mohamed said. We went down and found [him] full of blood. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital to be treated for his injuries and then transferred to a hospital in central Gaza with an ophthalmology department that could perform the surgery he needed. His right eye was removed. He may yet lose the left, too, his father said. Children drawn to shiny objects There is no shortage of dangers in Gaza for kids like Mohamed, from airstrikes to disease and malnutrition to the shootings that have become a regular occurrence at aid distribution sites. But the risks posed by the unexploded bombs, mines, booby traps and other munitions that are left lying all around Gaza are particularly insidious. They're different; they're literally shiny, said Luke Irving, chief of the UN's mine action programme in the occupied territories. A child would be immediately drawn to that. WATCH | Mohamed Hijazi's father changes the bandages over his eyes: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Seven-year-old loses eyesight from unexploded bomb in Gaza Mohamed Hijazi was playing with his cousins near an unexploded bomb in Jabalia when a blast cost him his eyesight. According to the Hamas-run government media office in Gaza, there could be as much as 6,800 tonnes of unexploded ordnance scattered throughout Gaza (new window) . That's based on United Nations estimates that about five to 10 per cent (new window) of all weapons fired into the territory failed to detonate. Irving said there have been 222 confirmed accidents related to unexploded ordnance since Israel began bombing Gaza in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that killed some 1,200 people and saw another 250 taken hostage. There have likely been hundreds more such encounters, but such incidents are not always officially counted, said Irving. With much of the medical infrastructure in ruins, doctors in Gaza are preoccupied with trying to stabilize patients rather than assessing the cause of their injuries or deaths, he said. Encounters with unexploded munitions are not always fatal but can leave people with catastrophic injuries and lifelong disabilities that are challenging to manage in a war zone with a decimated health-care system. Just 17 of Gaza's 36 hospitals (new window) were considered partially functional, and over 1,000 health-care workers had been killed as of December 2024, according to Doctors Without Borders. 'Ticking time bombs' In Mohamed's case, doctors told him his left eye might be able to be saved, but he would have to be medically evacuated out of Gaza for the surgery. Until then, his father holds his hand and guides his every step, getting him used to having to relearn simple movements and tasks that he previously did without thinking. As a father, it's very difficult to see Hamood [potentially] losing both his eyes and not living his normal life, said Abu Mohamed, using his son's nickname. I see his cousins playing, and Hamood won't play with them. It's very difficult for me. Operations to clear unexploded ordnance typically can't get underway until a war ends so in Gaza, as fighting between Hamas and Israel continues and shifts to different parts of the enclave and people are repeatedly displaced and return to heavily bombed areas, the munitions remain a persistent danger. And they are not easy to spot. The war has not only claimed the lives of an estimated 54,000 Palestinians; it has left roughly 70 per cent (new window) of the enclave's structures destroyed or damaged, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Mixed in with that rubble are hundreds of ticking time bombs, said Irving. Abu Mohamed says his son needs constant attention since his injury. He guides him around to make sure the little boy doesn't stumble. (Mohamed El Saife/CBC News) Photo: (Mohamed El Saife/CBC News) Because it's been fired and its effective release mechanism is ready to explode, it's designed to either hit something, or there's a timer, and it will detonate, he said. They're not designed to sit there, unexploded, and that's the risk. The UN Mine Action Service estimated last year that it could take 14 years to clear Gaza of UXO (new window) . 'No dreams left' Before the war, Mohamed was in kindergarten, at the top of his class, his father said. He held up a photo of the child taken eight or nine months before the accident. At the time, the family had been displaced to southern Gaza because of fighting in the north. Mohamed is dressed in a black tracksuit and stands in front of the tent he and his family were sheltering in. He smiles big for the camera, a sparkle in his eyes. When CBC met him, he was sitting in their home, which had been partially destroyed in the war. He had visible wounds from the explosion. His elbow was wrapped in gauze; his remaining eye welled with tears. The little boy needs emergency evacuation for treatment for his remaining eye because doctors in Gaza don't have the capacity to save it. (Mohamed El Saife/CBC News) Photo: (Mohamed El Saife/CBC News) Mohamed had always wanted to study engineering, his father said. At first, the accident only further motivated him; he told his father that when he recovered, he'd become an engineer so he could help rebuild Gaza. But the prospect of permanently losing his vision has weakened that resolve. This explosion destroyed Hamood's dreams, his father said. And now, because he lost one eye and may lose the other, there are no dreams left. Yasmine Hassan (new window) · CBC News
CBC
10-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
This Palestinian boy lost his eye to an unexploded bomb. Thousands of tonnes of explosives may remain in Gaza
Mohamed Hijazi squirms as his father unwraps a bandage for him. He cries and kicks his feet, but his dad manages to eventually place the bandage over his eye. "It's nothing," Abu Mohamed tells his child, in a last-ditch effort to calm him down. But the boy is inconsolable. The seven-year-old was playing outside the family home in April with his cousins in Jabalia in northern Gaza, where his family was sheltering, when the children came across a bomb that hadn't detonated. "It exploded in front of him," Abu Mohamed said. "We went down and found [him] full of blood." The child was rushed to a nearby hospital to be treated for his injuries and then transferred to a hospital in central Gaza with an ophthalmology department that could perform the surgery he needed. His right eye was removed. He may yet lose the left, too, his father said. Children drawn to shiny objects There is no shortage of dangers in Gaza for kids like Mohamed, from airstrikes to disease and malnutrition to the shootings that have become a regular occurrence at aid distribution sites. But the risks posed by the unexploded bombs, mines, booby traps and other munitions that are left lying all around Gaza are particularly insidious. "They're different; they're literally shiny," said Luke Irving, chief of the UN's mine action programme in the occupied territories. "A child would be immediately drawn to that." WATCH | Mohamed Hijazi's father changes the bandages over his eyes: Seven-year-old loses eyesight from unexploded bomb in Gaza 5 minutes ago Duration 1:49 According to the Hamas-run government media office in Gaza, there could be as much as 6,800 tonnes of unexploded ordnance scattered throughout Gaza. That's based on United Nations estimates that about five to 10 per cent of all weapons fired into the territory failed to detonate. Irving said there have been 222 confirmed accidents related to unexploded ordnance since Israel began bombing Gaza in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that killed some 1,200 people and saw another 250 taken hostage. There have likely been hundreds more such encounters, but such incidents are not always officially counted, said Irving. With much of the medical infrastructure in ruins, doctors in Gaza are preoccupied with trying to stabilize patients rather than assessing the cause of their injuries or deaths, he said. Encounters with unexploded munitions are not always fatal but can leave people with catastrophic injuries and lifelong disabilities that are challenging to manage in a war zone with a decimated health-care system. Just 17 of Gaza's 36 hospitals were considered partially functional, and over 1,000 health-care workers had been killed as of December 2024, according to Doctors Without Borders. 'Ticking time bombs' In Mohamed's case, doctors told him his left eye might be able to be saved, but he would have to be medically evacuated out of Gaza for the surgery. Until then, his father holds his hand and guides his every step, getting him used to having to relearn simple movements and tasks that he previously did without thinking. "As a father, it's very difficult to see Hamood [potentially] losing both his eyes and not living his normal life," said Abu Mohamed, using his son's nickname. "I see his cousins playing, and Hamood won't play with them. It's very difficult for me." Operations to clear unexploded ordnance typically can't get underway until a war ends so in Gaza, as fighting between Hamas and Israel continues and shifts to different parts of the enclave and people are repeatedly displaced and return to heavily bombed areas, the munitions remain a persistent danger. And they are not easy to spot. The war has not only claimed the lives of an estimated 54,000 Palestinians; it has left roughly 70 per cent of the enclave's structures destroyed or damaged, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Mixed in with that rubble are hundreds of "ticking time bombs," said Irving. "Because it's been fired and its effective release mechanism is ready to explode, it's designed to either hit something, or there's a timer, and it will detonate," he said. "They're not designed to sit there, unexploded, and that's the risk." The UN Mine Action Service estimated last year that it could take 14 years to clear Gaza of UXO. 'No dreams left' Before the war, Mohamed was in kindergarten, at the top of his class, his father said. He held up a photo of the child taken eight or nine months before the accident. At the time, the family had been displaced to southern Gaza because of fighting in the north. Mohamed is dressed in a black tracksuit and stands in front of the tent he and his family were sheltering in. He smiles big for the camera, a sparkle in his eyes. When CBC met him, he was sitting in their home, which had been partially destroyed in the war. He had visible wounds from the explosion. His elbow was wrapped in gauze; his remaining eye welled with tears. Mohamed had always wanted to study engineering, his father said. At first, the accident only further motivated him; he told his father that when he recovered, he'd become an engineer so he could help rebuild Gaza. But the prospect of permanently losing his vision has weakened that resolve. "This explosion destroyed Hamood's dreams," his father said. "And now, because he lost one eye and may lose the other, there are no dreams left."
Straits Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
GE2025: PAP wins Pasir Ris-Changi GRC
The team from the Singapore Democratic Alliance comprising Mr Desmond Lim (second from left), Mr Abu Mohamed (third from left), Harminder Pal Singh (first from left), and newcomer Chia Yun Kai. FILE PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS The PAP has won Pasir Ris-Changi GRC, led by Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah. Her teammates are Mr Desmond Tan, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (third from left), one-term MP Sharael Taha (first from left), and new face Valerie Lee. ST FILE PHOTO SINGAPORE – The PAP has won Pasir Ris-Changi GRC – led by Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah – with 67.66 per cent of the vote against the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), a coalition of two parties and a newcomer. Ms Indranee's teammates are Mr Desmond Tan, 54, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, one-term MP Sharael Taha, 43, and new face Valerie Lee, 39. They faced a straight fight against a team from SDA comprising the opposition coalition's chairman Desmond Lim, 58, secretary-general Abu Mohamed, 74, communications lead Harminder Pal Singh, 53, and newcomer Chia Yun Kai, 32. Pasir Ris-Changi GRC, which has 100,639 voters, was formed by merging some districts under the former Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC with adjacent areas in East Coast GRC, after electoral boundaries were redrawn. Pulau Ubin was subsumed under the new boundaries of Pasir Ris-Changi GRC. During the nine days of campaigning, Ms Indranee, who is also Second Minister for Finance and National Development, had said that while the PAP has plans to address concerns such as cost of living and jobs at a national level, her team at Pasir Ris-Changi GRC would also explore issues and plans at the local level, including improving infrastructure. Ms Indranee had moved from Tanjong Pagar GRC where she had served for 24 years to anchor the PAP team in Pasir Ris-Changi GRC. This was after Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, the former anchor minister in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, announced his retirement from politics after 33 years. Mr Teo had been an MP in Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC since 1997. The SDA is a coalition currently comprising the Singapore Justice Party, of which Mr Lim is the secretary-general; the Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS), of which Mr Abu Mohamed is the president; and Mr Chia, who had initially announced that he had founded his own party Most Valuable Party – to contest East Coast GRC. Mr Chia joined SDA on Nomination Day on April 23. The SDA had aimed to address cost of living, issues of housing and healthcare, as well as providing better job opportunities for Singaporeans amid competition from foreign talent. The alliance has not prevailed since it began contesting Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC in 2006. Pasir Ris-Changi voters whom The Straits Times spoke to earlier on polling day said the voting process was smooth and hassle-free. The day began with heavy downpours in the earlier part of the morning of May 3 before clearing up to clear skies for the rest of the day. Voters said issues such as cost of living were on the top of their mind when it came to casting their votes. 'What's more important for me is to choose the right team to bring the country forward,' said housewife Noor Huda Abdullah, 49. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
CNA
30-04-2025
- Politics
- CNA
GE2025: SDA reaffirms its commitment to Pasir Ris-Changi GRC residents, saying 'we do not give up'
SINGAPORE: Despite boundary changes ahead of the May 3 polls, the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) remains as committed to residents as it has over the past two decades, candidates said on Wednesday (Apr 30). In four videos posted online, they also emphasised that they will address and voice residents' concerns if elected. The party, which will not hold any physical rallies this General Election, have released two video series this week as part of their online rallies, with the first batch released on Tuesday. "From 2006 until now, I have been contesting in Pasir Ris-Punggol. Now it has become Pasir Ris-Changi. I want to work together with you and fight hard to achieve our common dreams and aspirations. Let's work together," said SDA chief Desmond Lim in a speech delivered in Mandarin. "Time passes but my resolve from the start has not changed. Every general election, my love for the community here and my sense of responsibility grows stronger." The party has contested in the area, specifically in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, for almost two decades. The group representation constituency was dissolved last month as part of extensive boundary changes ahead of the polls, with some districts merged with adjacent areas in East Coast GRC to form Pasir Ris-Changi GRC. The SDA is only contesting in Pasir Ris-Changi GRC. The party's slate consists of Mr Lim, Mr Abu Mohamed, Mr Harminder Pal Singh and Mr Chia Yun Kai. They will go up against a People's Action Party (PAP) team helmed by Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Desmond Tan, Mr Sharael Taha and new face Ms Valerie Lee. Mr Chia, who joined the SDA earlier this month, said that the party was "proud" to welcome Changi residents from East Coast into the "family". "Together, we will be stronger than before. SDA has been standing with Pasir Ris residents for over 20 years. Twenty years of loyalty, twenty years of courage and twenty years of fighting for what is right," he added. "Our unwavering commitment, strength and resilience prove one thing. We do not give up and we do not walk away. We are here because we care." VOICES OF RESIDENTS MUST BE HEARD In their speeches, candidates also highlighted various causes which the party aims to address. Speaking in Malay, party secretary-general Abu Mohamed brought up how some young Singaporeans who hold polytechnic diplomas or university degrees find it difficult to find good jobs. "I am proud of the achievements, skills, and education of our young generation. They should be given chances, equal opportunities for better jobs," he said. He highlighted the party's proposal in its manifesto for a staggered levy on Employment Pass (EP) holders, where the levy would be higher for positions that require entry-level skillsets and taper down for high-skilled positions This would incentivise companies to hire and groom young Singaporeans to take on high-skilled and managerial positions, as well as level the playing field for middle-aged Singaporeans who face the prospect of being too expensive to hire, the party said previously. Candidates also stressed that they have heard and will continue to listen to residents. "We have been listening. We have been walking the streets, we have been talking to you in the hawker centers, our HDB void decks, our workplaces and we asked you what truly matters," said Mr Singh, adding that residents brought up their concerns about job security, affordable housing and healthcare. "You told us. You told us with a clarity that cuts through the noise." "We stand at a crossroads. We can continue down the path of widening inequality, of broken promises, of a society where the few thrive while many of us struggle," he added. "Or we can choose a different path. A path of compassion, a path of fairness, a path of a Singapore where every heart beats with hopes ... We the SDA offer you that choice."
CNA
29-04-2025
- Politics
- CNA
GE2025: 'Life is difficult for so many of us' and Singaporeans need solutions for the future, say SDA
SINGAPORE: The average Singaporean is struggling with various issues such as being able to find a good job and purchase affordable homes, with solutions needed for the future, said the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA). In four videos posted online on Tuesday (Apr 29), SDA candidates discussed the various issues Singaporeans face and stressed the importance of a Singapore for everyone. The party will not hold any physical rallies this General Election and instead are releasing a series of videos twice this week as part of their online rallies. The SDA is only contesting one Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the May 3 General Election - the newly formed Pasir Ris-Changi GRC. The party has contested in the area since 2006 - specifically in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, which was dissolved last month as part of extensive boundary changes ahead of the polls. SDA's slate consists of Mr Desmond Lim, Mr Abu Mohamed, Mr Harminder Pal Singh and Mr Chia Yun Kai. They will go up against a People's Action Party (PAP) team helmed by Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Desmond Tan, Mr Sharael Taha and new face Ms Valerie Lee. In his speech, SDA chief Desmond Lim said that fellow Pasir Ris residents have talked with him about the various struggles they face. "Life is difficult for so many of us who must manage things like high cost of living, expensive HDB flats, unaffordable healthcare and lack of good job opportunities," he said in a three-and-a-half minute long video. "Fifteen years ago, Singaporeans like you, like me, have been feeling the pain of high cost of living, housing prices, healthcare prices and lack of job opportunities. Fifteen years later, under the PAP government, has anything changed?" added party secretary-general Abu Mohamed in his video. "That's why I say you have an important choice to make ... Your choice will determine the life of our children, our families, for the next 15 years." In his speech, Mr Singh pointed out how various costs have increased for Singaporeans in recent years. And Singaporeans are "struggling under the weight of rising costs and unequal burdens", he added. 'SINGAPORE NOT JUST FOR THE RICH' Mr Lim said that the SDA has a plan for national issues and pointed to the party's manifesto. "We will make the government accountable for how they spend our money, we will make sure that every young family can afford a home," he added. "We will make sure our Singaporean talents come first for good jobs. We will make sure that the sandwiched families have a better quality of life." In the party manifesto released last Wednesday, the party laid out four main areas of focus, which were: reducing high cost of living pressures on common Singaporeans, improving job prospects for Singaporean talents, making public housing affordable and easily obtainable, as well as increasing access to quality and affordable healthcare. "We will champion policies that ensure your voices are heard and policies that pave the way for a more equitable and sustainable future for all Singaporeans like you and me," said Mr Singh in his video. Among other proposals, it suggested a levy on Employment Pass holders, as well as the formation of an independent body similar to the CPIB (Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau) to "proactively" check on government spending. The party estimated that S$2 billion would be collected annually from its proposed levies. This could then be used to fund a S$1,600 base allowance for all full-time national servicemen, it said. Any unused revenue from levies would be put in a "national service fund". The SDA also proposed rent controls on coffee shops and commercial shop spaces in residential neighbourhoods to prevent landlords from raising rent "unfairly and exorbitantly". This will be coupled with property tax rebates to reward landlords for offering "sustainable" rent increases, the party added. "This election, we bring you an action plan. A plan to make your lives better, a plan for Singaporeans. Not slogans, not fairy-tales. Real, long-term sustainable solutions," said Mr Chia, who was the single member of the Most Valuable Party and a last minute addition to the SDA slate. "SDA stands for one thing - long-term, sustainable and real solutions." Mr Lim also stressed that Singapore is not just for the well-off.
