Latest news with #AlMawasi
The Independent
7 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Nurse ‘forever' haunted by image of toddler killed in Gaza
A Scottish nurse has told how she will be 'forever' haunted by the image of a dead toddler at a Gaza hospital where she worked. Mel Graham, from Elderslie in Renfrewshire, has spoken about her two-month deployment to a UK Government-funded hospital in Al Mawasi between February and April this year. Ms Graham, 50, says she has never been more frightened in her life, but wants to return to Gaza regardless in order to further help the those caught in the crossfire. Two emergency field hospitals funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and run by Manchester-based frontline health charity UK- Med have treated more than 400,000 patients in Gaza so far. Ms Graham said: 'I was in Gaza last year and didn't think it could possibly get any worse, but it has. That first night the ceasefire shattered was easily the worst thing I have ever experienced. Even though we knew it was coming, it was still such a shock. 'The sound of explosions and fighting were so close to the hospital, so we knew we were going to be busy. At maybe two or three in the morning the first casualties started coming in. It was a conveyor belt of carnage. 'My role involved triaging patients. Amongst that first load of patients brought in, there were was a two-year-old girl dead on arrival. 'There wasn't a mark on her and I just remember standing there thinking 'How can this happen?'. She looked completely perfect and was just covered in a thick layer of dust. 'It's different when you are dealing with people with visible injuries. With some blast injuries there are no obvious signs externally, but the shockwave had fatally affected her tiny wee lungs. 'The porters went to get a body bag for her, but the shortage of aid getting in meant there were only adult body bags available. She just disappeared into it. 'We took her to the temporary mortuary at the back of the hospital. We put two chairs out for the family to come in… but no-one ever came. I fear her parents had obviously been killed too.' Traumatised by what she saw, Ms Graham continued: 'The sight of that little girl will haunt me forever. It is the thing that I think about most. 'It's at the forefront of my brain. It is not natural for a child to die like that. 'I didn't want to leave her there alone, but I had to get back to help the many other casualties who had been rushed in.' More than 50,000 people have now been killed in the conflict and more than 90% of the Gaza population displaced from their homes, often on more than one occasion. The UK announced £129 million in the last financial year (2024-25) for Occupied Palestinian Territories, including £11.5 million to support UK-Med's life-saving work in Gaza. Ms Graham – who has also been deployed twice to conflict-hit Ukraine – said: 'When I was in Gaza last year, we heard explosions close to us, but this time my heart was in my mouth much of the time. 'Some bomb blasts were so close you'd feel your feet move first and then you heard the explosion. I don't know what the science is behind that. 'It was just one incident after another. Two of the 14 Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulance workers killed had left from our field hospital. They were our colleagues. The news shook me to the core. 'Last year, our accommodation shook a few times, but this year it was practically every day. Sometimes you got woken up thinking 'I can't believe I've not got a whole house on top of me'. 'Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure I was going to make it out. That's how scary it was. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that because the people in Gaza are experiencing that 24/7, 365 days a year. 'The emotions are strange because it was brilliant to have done it and I do not regret it for a second. Once I've detangled my brain, I want to get back out. I feel like I still have one foot in Gaza and once I give myself some rest I'll want to get back. 'I find I struggle with the guilt of leaving. I struggled with the guilt of wanting to leave because the local people do not have that option. They are trapped. There's no respite for them. 'I also feel guilty putting my family through the worry. I know they are proud of the work I am doing but it's only natural they have concerns.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel orders evacuation of southern Gaza ahead of major attack
The Israeli military called on Gazans to leave most settlements in the south of the strip, as it prepares to launch an "unprecedented attack" against terrorist organizations in the area, according to an evacuation order issued in Arabic on Monday. The order affects the larger cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, as well as all other settlements in southern Gaza expect for Al-Mawasi, a map published by the military showed. Gazans were told to move to Al-Mawasi in south-western Gaza, which has been designated as a humanitarian zone during the war. Militants continued to fire rockets from areas affected by the evacuation order, the Israeli military said, after reporting shelling from the south of the Palestinian territory on Monday morning. According to eyewitnesses, many people heeded the call to evacuate. However, a large number of deaths were reported from Khan Younis, the second largest city in the Gaza Strip, with the military reiterating that the city was considered a "dangerous combat zone." The Nasser Hospital and Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis are exempt from the evacuation order, the military said. Israeli attacks are drawing increasing criticism, including from its close allies, due to the soaring death toll and limited aid that has caused a catastrophic situation in Gaza. The Gaza war was triggered by the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which were led by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Since then, more than 53,900 people have been killed in the territory, according to Palestinian sources. More than 122,700 people have been injured. Reports: Israel rejects latest Gaza ceasefire proposal The Israeli government on Monday also rejected the latest proposal for a ceasefire and release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, local media reported. "The proposal received by Israel cannot be accepted by any responsible government," the Times of Israel quoted an unnamed senior official as saying, who didn't give any further details. According to the ynet news website, the proposal was made by a Palestinian-American businessman who has reportedly been involved in direct negotiations with Hamas for some time. The Hezbollah-affiliated Arab broadcaster Al-Mayadeen reported that the proposal involves a 70-day ceasefire to allow both sides to conduct negotiations on an end to the war, while Hamas is to release five living hostages and the bodies of a further five from Gaza. The draft is far removed from the proposal drawn up by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, ynet quoted an Israeli official as saying. Sources say Hamas agrees to Witkoff deal Later on Monday, sources close to Hamas said the group had agreed to the deal proposed by Witkoff, a claim that the US special envoy has reportedly denied. The proposal reportedly provides for a 60-day ceasefire, the release of 10 Israeli hostages and the entry of 1,000 aid trucks into Gaza. In addition, according to the information provided, the United States would guarantee that comprehensive negotiations on a permanent ceasefire begin. Sources also said that Hamas had committed to halting "any development of its military capabilities." Israel is demanding the group's complete disarmament. However, Barak Ravid, a well-connected correspondent for the US news site Axios, said Witkoff had rejected the reports. He quoted Witkoff as saying that what he had seen from Hamas was "disappointing and completely unacceptable." Witkoff reportedly called on Hamas to agree to the deal on the table, Ravid said in a report on the news portal walla. Israel has already agreed to the deal, Ravid added. According to Israeli sources, at least 20 hostages are still being held alive in the Gaza Strip, with the fate of three further abductees unclear. In addition, the bodies of 35 hostages are being held. Report: 19 killed in Israeli strike in northern Gaza At least 19 people were killed in an Israeli attack in northern Gaza, local media reported earlier on Monday. Further people were injured when Israeli fighter jets shelled a house in Jabalia, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Minors are said to be among the dead. The Israeli military said it was investigating the report. In a separate statement posted on Telegram, the military said "operational activity against terrorist organizations" continues across the Gaza Strip. Over the past 48 hours, the air force struck more than 200 targets across the war-torn coastal enclave, it said, including "terrorists, weapon storage facilities, sniper and anti-tank missile posts, tunnel shafts, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites." More than 50 people have reportedly been killed in the Gaza Strip amid the Israeli attacks since last night. Initial reports earlier on Monday said at least 36 people were killed in an Israeli overnight attack in the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli air force said it targeted a Hamas command centre. Most of the dead were women and children, WAFA reported early on Monday, adding that the attack also left dozens injured. The Israeli military said the target was located in a building in northern Gaza City that had previously served as a school. According to WAFA, the building had housed displaced people, with tents catching fire during the attack. The information from both sides could not initially be independently verified. The Israeli military said the strike was aimed at Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists who were planning attacks against Israeli forces inside Gaza and on Israeli territory. Many steps were taken prior to the "precise strike" to reduce civilian casualties, it added. The military described this as another example of the systematic abuse of civilian infrastructure and humanitarian protection zones by Hamas, stating that this violated international law.
South China Morning Post
26-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Israel orders evacuation of southern Gaza ahead of major attack
The Israeli military called on Gazans to leave most settlements in the south of the strip, as it prepares to launch an 'unprecedented attack' against terrorist organisations in the area, according to an evacuation order issued in Arabic on Monday. The order affects the larger cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, as well as all other settlements in southern Gaza except for Al-Mawasi, a map published by the military showed. Gazans were told to move to Al-Mawasi in southwestern Gaza, which has been designated as a humanitarian zone during the war. Militants continued to fire rockets from areas affected by the evacuation order, the Israeli military said, after reporting shelling from the south of the Palestinian territory on Monday morning. According to eyewitnesses, many people heeded the call to evacuate. However, a large number of deaths were reported from Khan Younis, the second largest city in Gaza, with the military reiterating that the city was considered a 'dangerous combat zone'. The Nasser Hospital and Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis are exempt from the evacuation order, the military said.
Sky News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Israel-Gaza latest: Gaza enduring 'atrocious death and destruction', UN boss warns - as he demands Israelis allow 'flood' of aid
17:35:01 World's largest humanitarian organisation pleads with Israel for support after aid looted The World Food Programme has pleaded with Israel to support its distribution of aid after its trucks were looted by desperate and hungry residents. The world's largest humanitarian organisation said aid was stolen from 15 of its lorries late last night in southern Gaza en route to bakeries. The WFP said it "cannot safely operate" under a distribution system that limits the number of sites where food can be accessed. "Hunger, desperation, and anxiety over whether more food aid is coming is contributing to rising insecurity. "We need support from the Israeli authorities to get far greater volumes of food assistance into Gaza faster, more consistently, and transported along safer routes, as was done during the ceasefire." 17:05:01 Analysis: Israel's aid policy is a complete mess - which forces starving people to 'go and find the food' Israel's aid policy is a "complete mess" and will likely pull up to two million people towards a small southern beach with no sanitation, facilities or infrastructure, says defence and security analyst Michael Clarke. Declining to coordinate with the UN's aid agency in Gaza, UNRWA, Israel wants to set up a new organisation made up of "inexperienced" private contractors called the Gaza Humanitarian Organisation, he says. It will operate from four areas, three of which are in the south of the territory near Al Mawasi, explains Clarke. "The Gaza Humanitarian Organisation is a completely untried private enterprise arrangement with the Israeli government and I'll be astonished if it can distribute anything like the aid that the UN says is required," says Clarke. "Normally, food goes to starving people. In this case, starving people have got to go and find the food." 'It's historically unprecedented' The UN says Israel is weaponising food distribution to pull people into the south of the country. The United Nations agency UNRWA says it has a system that can administer 500-600 trucks of aid each day as they have done for years, Clarke says. "Two million people are rattling around inside a devastated landscape from which they cannot escape. "In my experience, I've never known a battlefield this small in which civilians can't get out of it, in this number. "It's historically unprecedented, in my view." 16:32:43 Looting no surprise when mothers cannot feed their children, says UN aid chief No one should be surprised aid is being looted when mothers and fathers have run out of food for their children, says the head of the UNRWA, the UN's humanitarian agency in Gaza. Philippe Lazzarini said its people have been "starved and deprived of the basics including water and medicines for more than 11 weeks" during the Israeli blockade. "The aid going in now is a needle in a haystack," he said, referring to the 100 or so trucks allowed in by Israel earlier this week. "The least needed is 500-600 trucks every day managed through the UN including UNRWA . "During the ceasefire, we brought in an average of 500-600 trucks a day without diversion or looting." 15:55:57 Netanyahu's attack on Starmer should be 'completely rejected' after overseeing Gaza 'catastrophe', expert argues It is "ridiculous" for Benjamin Netanyahu to accuse Keir Starmer and the leaders of France and Canada of emboldening Hamas by criticising Israeli policy, according to an expert. "Netanyahu himself has been one of Hamas's biggest supporters," says Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Centre for International Policy. "Netanyahu's policy was to deliver, literally, bags of cash into Gaza to help sustain the Hamas government inside Gaza for the purposes of keeping the Palestinian leadership divided to prevent any negotiations that could lead to a Palestinian state. "This was Netanyahu's policy that helped keep Hamas in power, this was the policy that enabled the October 7 attacks to happen. "So to attack Starmer for this very late-coming criticism - and finally starting to put pressure on Netanyahu to change his policy in Gaza - I think should just be completely rejected right out of hand." He is rightly facing increasing criticism, including in Israel, for endangering the lives of Palestinians and Israeli hostages, says Duss. Watch below: Netanyahu's verbal attack on Starmer, Macron and Carney Netanyahu "really wants to blur that line" between criticising Israeli government policy and antisemitism, Duss adds. "Netanyahu's goal here is to conflate these things, to hide behind this shield, rather than to have to confront the very legitimate criticisms of his policy." Duss says Netanyahu's policy in Gaza has been "a catastrophe since and even before October 7". "Netanyahu has always wanted to prolong this war for his own political purposes." 15:27:36 UN demands Israel lets 'flood' of aid into Gaza amid 'atrocious death and destruction' "All the aid authorised until now amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required," says UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres. "The needs are massive and the obstacles are staggering." Strict quotas, prohibitions of key supplies and unnecessary delay procedures are being imposed, he says. "Meanwhile, the Israeli military offensive is intensifying with atrocious levels of death and destruction. "Four-fifths of the territory of Gaza is a no-go zone for the people of Gaza." He calls for a permanent ceasefire, the immediate release of hostages and full humanitarian access. The UN has the personnel, distribution networks and community relationships necessary, says Guterres. There are 9,000 trucks of supplies waiting, he says. For context: Israel imposed a blockade on all supplies starting on 2 March, saying Hamas was seizing deliveries for its fighters - a charge the group denies. Netanyahu allowed just 100 trucks carrying baby food and medical equipment into Gaza on Wednesday. The UN has said a quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million people are at risk of famine. The Gaza healthcare system has been barely functioning, with most of the medical facilities out of order, because of repeated Israeli military strikes, raids and the ban on the entry of medical supplies, medics say. 15:20:01 More aid enters Gaza - but how much is needed? As we reported earlier (8.25am post) the Israeli military says 107 trucks carrying flour, food, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals entered Gaza yesterday. Aid began to re-enter the Strip earlier this week after Israel lifted a blockade that began in early March. However, 107 trucks is still well below the 500 per day the UN says crossed into the Palestinian territory before the war started in October 2023. Israel contends, however, that a large amount of aid entered Gaza during the recent period of hostage and prisoner releases. The Israeli government says that between 19 January and 2 March, 25,200 aid trucks carrying 447,538 tons of supplies crossed the border. During that period, it puts the number of trucks going in weekly at 4,200. That includes air drops at crossings. Israel imposed the blockade on Gaza to try to put pressure on Hamas, which it blamed for causing hunger by stealing aid meant for civilians. Hamas denies the allegation. At a clinic in central Gaza, one medical worker told Sky News that almost half of all under-fives attending the facility have acute or severe acute malnutrition - compared to around one in 20 before Israel implemented its total blockade on 2 March. Sky News understands that Israel has forbidden aid agencies from storing food and medication at warehouses, requiring that all food entering Gaza be taken directly to its final location. 14:50:01 France rejects Netanyahu attack France has joined the UK in rejecting criticism from Benjamin Netanyahu that Emmanuel Macron, Sir Keir Starmer and Canada's Mark Carney are "on the wrong side of humanity" for criticising Israel's actions in Gaza. Sophie Primas, a spokesperson for the French government, said France "does not accept this accusation". "We do not confuse the Israeli people with the policies being pursued today by Benjamin Netanyahu," she says. "You know the great, immense reservations we have, particularly regarding what is happening in Gaza." "I think we must de-escalate this rising tension between our two states and work to find lasting peace solutions for Israel and Palestine." Earlier, UK armed forces minister Luke Pollard also rejected Netanyahu's strong criticism of Sir Keir Starmer (see 9am post). 14:20:01 In pictures: Israelis call for ceasefire near Gaza border A growing number of Israelis are protesting the war in Gaza as mounting international pressure threatens to turn the country into a pariah on the world stage. Below are the latest images from Sderot, near Israel's border with Gaza, where anti-war demonstrations have increased in recent months. Protesters hold signs calling for Israel to "free ghetto Gaza" and "stop the genocide". 13:50:01 60 killed in Gaza in past 24 hours, health ministry says Sixty Palestinians have been killed by Israel's military offensive in Gaza in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run health ministry in the enclave has said. According to its latest figures, 53,822 people have now been killed by Israel since the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023. A further 185 people have been injured during that time, it added. The ministry's figures do not differentiate between Hamas fighters and civilians. For context: While Israeli officials have cast doubt on the numbers killed in Gaza, several independent groups say the ministry's figures have proved to be largely reliable and broadly in line with those later produced by the UN and Israel itself. Examination of data from previous Gaza conflicts, comparing the ministry's counts with post-war UN analysis, shows the initial data is largely accurate with, at most, a 10-12% discrepancy.
News.com.au
19-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
IDF issues evacuation order for Gaza's second-largest city, warning of ‘unprecedented attack'
The Israeli military has issued an evacuation order for residents of Khan Younis, Gaza's second-largest city, warning of an 'unprecedented attack' in the area. The order was shared on social media platform X by military Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee, alerting that the warning also applied to nearby towns Bani Suhaila and Abasan. Civilians have been instructed to move west toward the coastal area of al-Mawasi. 'From this moment, Khan Younis governorate will be considered a dangerous combat zone,' the message read. The announcement follows a similar displacement directive issued on Monday for parts of central Gaza, including al-Qarara in southern Deir el-Balah. It came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel will 'take control' of the whole of Gaza, as the military pressed a newly intensified campaign in the war-ravaged territory. After Israel announced it would let a 'basic amount' of food into the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu said it was necessary to prevent a famine for 'diplomatic reasons'. In Gaza, rescuers said air strikes killed at least 22 people, after the military announced it had begun 'extensive ground operations' against Hamas. 'The fighting is intense and we are making progress. We will take control of all the territory of the Strip,' Netanyahu said in a video posted on Telegram. 'We will not give up. But in order to succeed, we must act in a way that cannot be stopped.' Israel has come under mounting international pressure, including from key backer the United States, to lift a total blockade it imposed on Gaza more than two months ago. 'We must not let the population (of Gaza) sink into famine, both for practical and diplomatic reasons,' Netanyahu said, adding that even friends of Israel would not tolerate 'images of mass starvation'. In a report this month, the UN- and NGO-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said Gaza was at 'critical risk of famine', with 22 per cent of the population facing an imminent humanitarian 'catastrophe'.
