Latest news with #Noura
Roya News
3 days ago
- Health
- Roya News
"Israel's" war on parenthood destroys thousands of embryos in Gaza: Report
The BBC investigated the destruction of Gaza's fertility infrastructure through firsthand interviews with affected families, medical professionals, and humanitarian experts. For 26-year-old Noura, the dream of motherhood ended in heartbreak amid "Israel's" ongoing military offensive on Gaza. After enduring years of IVF treatments, she finally became pregnant in July 2023. 'I was overjoyed,' she recalled. She and her husband Mohamed, had even stored two additional embryos at Al-Basma Fertility Centre, hoping to expand their family in the future. But war upended their lives. When the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) intensified their bombardment of Gaza, Noura's pregnancy was thrown into crisis. 'I thought my dream had finally come true,' she said. 'But the day the Israelis came in, something in me said it was all over.' Forced to flee multiple times, the couple struggled to access even basic nutrition, let alone the medications and vitamins essential for a healthy pregnancy. 'We used to walk for long hours and move constantly from one place to another, amid terrifying random bombings,' Mohamed recounted. Seven months into her pregnancy, Noura suffered a severe hemorrhage. With no ambulance available, Mohamed transported her to a hospital in a garbage truck. By the time they arrived, one twin had already died. The other passed away shortly after birth due to the lack of incubators. 'Everything was gone in a minute,' Noura said. Their stored embryos were lost too. Dr. Baha Ghalayini, director of Al-Basma, spoke somberly about the destruction of the clinic, which he estimates was shelled in early December 2023. The attack destroyed two liquid nitrogen tanks used to store nearly 4,000 frozen embryos and over 1,000 sperm and egg samples. 'These are not just numbers, they're people's dreams,' he said. 'People who waited years, went through painful treatments, and pinned their hopes on these tanks that were ultimately destroyed.' Dr. Mohamed Ajjour, the lab director who was displaced to southern Gaza, managed to retrieve fresh nitrogen from a warehouse in Al-Nuseirat, but heavy shelling made it impossible to deliver the tanks. 'The center was shelled and the nitrogen became useless,' he explained. According to Dr. Ghalayini, between 100 and 150 women likely lost their only shot at motherhood. Many of them, he said, suffer from chronic illnesses, are cancer patients, or are beyond the typical age for fertility treatments. Noura is not alone. Sara Khudari was preparing for an embryo transfer when the war began. Her procedure never happened. 'I watched everything collapse,' she said. Another woman, Islam Lubbad, conceived through IVF in early 2023. But constant displacement and physical exhaustion caused her to miscarry a month into the war. Like Noura, her remaining frozen embryos were stored at Al-Basma and are now gone. 'There was no stability. We kept relocating. My body was exhausted,' she said. Dr. Ghalayini confirmed that none of Gaza's nine fertility clinics are currently operational—either destroyed or shut down by war. In March, the UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry accused the Israeli Occupation of intentionally targeting Al-Basma, describing it as part of a broader effort 'to prevent births among Palestinians in Gaza'—a claim the "Israeli" government has forcefully denied. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the UN body behind the report as 'antisemitic' and 'terrorist-supporting,' while "Israel's" UN mission called the accusations 'baseless.' Still, for Noura and many others, the loss is deeply personal and irreversible. 'My nerves are shattered,' she said. 'I've been left with nothing.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Hopes of motherhood crushed after IVF embryos destroyed in Israel's Gaza offensive
"My nerves are shattered," says Noura, a 26-year-old Palestinian woman, explaining that she has been "left with nothing". After years of IVF treatment, she became pregnant in July 2023. "I was overjoyed," she remembers, describing the moment she saw the positive pregnancy test. She and her husband Mohamed decided to store two more embryos at Al-Basma Fertility Centre in Gaza City, which had helped them conceive, in the hope of having more children in the future. "I thought my dream had finally come true," she says. "But the day the Israelis came in, something in me said it was all over." Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Since then at least 54,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry. Like thousands of Gazans, Noura and Mohamed had to repeatedly flee, and were unable to get the food, vitamins and medication she needed for a healthy pregnancy. "We used to walk for long hours and move constantly from one place to another, amid terrifying random bombings," says Mohamed. Seven months into her pregnancy, Noura suffered a severe haemorrhage. "She was bleeding heavily, and we couldn't even find a vehicle to take her to the hospital. We finally managed to transport her in a garbage truck," Mohamed explains. "When we arrived, the miscarriage had already started." One of their twins was stillborn and the other died a few hours after birth. Mohamed says there were no incubators for premature babies available. "Everything was gone in a minute," says Noura. As well as losing the twins, they have also lost their frozen embryos. The director of Al-Basma Fertility Centre, Dr Baha Ghalayini, speaks with sorrow and disbelief as he explains that it was shelled in early December 2023. He is unable to provide an exact date or time and bases this estimate on the last time a member of staff saw the fertility centre operational. Dr Ghalayini says the most important part of the clinic housed two tanks that held nearly 4,000 frozen embryos and more than 1,000 samples of sperm and eggs. "The two destroyed incubators - which cost over $10,000 - were filled with liquid nitrogen that preserved the samples," he says. They needed to be topped up regularly and "about two weeks before the shelling, the nitrogen began to run low and evaporate". The laboratory director, Dr Mohamed Ajjour, who had been displaced to southern Gaza, says he "made it to the nitrogen warehouse in Al-Nuseirat, and got two tanks". But he says the intensity of the shelling prevented him from delivering them to the clinic, about 12km away: "The centre was shelled and the nitrogen became useless." Dr Ghalayini says the centre stored embryos for patients being treated at other clinics as well as their own. "I'm talking about 4,000 frozen embryos. These are not just numbers, they're people's dreams. People who waited years, went through painful treatments, and pinned their hopes on these tanks that were ultimately destroyed." He estimates that between 100 and 150 women lost what may have been their only chance at having children, as many cannot undergo the procedure again. "Some are getting older, some are cancer patients, others suffer chronic illnesses. Many received strong fertility medications that they can receive just once. Starting again is not easy." When approached for comment, the Israel Defense Forces told the BBC they would be better able to respond if the "specific time of the strike" was provided. They added that they "operate according to international law and take precautions to minimize civilian harm". In March this year, the UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory made the accusation that Israel "intentionally attacked and destroyed the Basma IVF clinic" in a measure "intended to prevent births among Palestinians in Gaza". It also alleged that Israel prevented aid, including medicines necessary to ensure safe pregnancy, childbirth, and neonatal care from reaching women. The commission went on to claim that Israeli authorities "destroyed in part the reproductive capacity of the Palestinians in Gaza as a group… one of the categories of genocidal acts". At the time of the report, Israel's permanent mission to the UN issued a statement saying it "categorically rejects these baseless accusations". And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded angrily, calling the Human Rights Council - which commissioned the report - "an antisemitic, rotten, terrorist-supporting and irrelevant body". Instead of focusing on war crimes committed by Hamas, he said, it was attacking Israel with "false accusations". A spokesperson for the IDF told BBC Arabic it "does not deliberately target fertility clinics, nor does it seek to prevent the birthrate of Gaza's civilian population. "The claim that the IDF intentionally strikes such sites is baseless and demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the purpose of IDF operations in Gaza." Dr Ghalayini says all of Gaza's nine fertility clinics have either been destroyed or are no longer able to operate. Noura explains that leaves her and many others with little chance of ever having a child. People like Sara Khudari, who began her fertility treatment in 2020. She was preparing for an embryo to be implanted when the war began in October 2023. The procedure never happened. "I watched everything collapse," she says. And Islam Lubbad, who Al-Basma clinic helped to conceive in 2023, a few months before the war broke out. But a month after the fighting started, she lost her baby, like Noura. "There was no stability. We kept relocating. My body was exhausted," she says, recalling how she miscarried. Islam did have more frozen embryos stored at Al-Basma Fertility Centre, but they have now been lost and there are no IVF clinics operating left for her to try to get pregnant again.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Israel-Gaza war: IVF clinics destroyed, crushing hopes of motherhood
"My nerves are shattered," says Noura, a 26-year-old Palestinian woman, explaining that she has been "left with nothing".After years of IVF treatment, she became pregnant in July 2023. "I was overjoyed," she remembers, describing the moment she saw the positive pregnancy and her husband Mohamed decided to store two more embryos at Al-Basma Fertility Centre in Gaza City, which had helped them conceive, in the hope of having more children in the future."I thought my dream had finally come true," she says. "But the day the Israelis came in, something in me said it was all over."Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken then at least 54,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's health thousands of Gazans, Noura and Mohamed had to repeatedly flee, and were unable to get the food, vitamins and medication she needed for a healthy pregnancy. "We used to walk for long hours and move constantly from one place to another, amid terrifying random bombings," says months into her pregnancy, Noura suffered a severe haemorrhage."She was bleeding heavily, and we couldn't even find a vehicle to take her to the hospital. We finally managed to transport her in a garbage truck," Mohamed explains."When we arrived, the miscarriage had already started."One of their twins was stillborn and the other died a few hours after birth. Mohamed says there were no incubators for premature babies available."Everything was gone in a minute," says well as losing the twins, they have also lost their frozen embryos. Thousands of embryos destroyed The director of Al-Basma Fertility Centre, Dr Baha Ghalayini, speaks with sorrow and disbelief as he explains that it was shelled in early December is unable to provide an exact date or time and bases this estimate on the last time a member of staff saw the fertility centre Ghalayini says the most important part of the clinic housed two tanks that held nearly 4,000 frozen embryos and more than 1,000 samples of sperm and eggs. "The two destroyed incubators - which cost over $10,000 - were filled with liquid nitrogen that preserved the samples," he needed to be topped up regularly and "about two weeks before the shelling, the nitrogen began to run low and evaporate".The laboratory director, Dr Mohamed Ajjour, who had been displaced to southern Gaza, says he "made it to the nitrogen warehouse in Al-Nuseirat, and got two tanks".But he says the intensity of the shelling prevented him from delivering them to the clinic, about 12km away: "The centre was shelled and the nitrogen became useless."Dr Ghalayini says the centre stored embryos for patients being treated at other clinics as well as their own. "I'm talking about 4,000 frozen embryos. These are not just numbers, they're people's dreams. People who waited years, went through painful treatments, and pinned their hopes on these tanks that were ultimately destroyed."He estimates that between 100 and 150 women lost what may have been their only chance at having children, as many cannot undergo the procedure again. "Some are getting older, some are cancer patients, others suffer chronic illnesses. Many received strong fertility medications that they can receive just once. Starting again is not easy." When approached for comment, the Israel Defense Forces told the BBC they would be better able to respond if the "specific time of the strike" was added that they "operate according to international law and take precautions to minimize civilian harm".In March this year, the UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory made the accusation that Israel "intentionally attacked and destroyed the Basma IVF clinic" in a measure "intended to prevent births among Palestinians in Gaza".It also alleged that Israel prevented aid, including medicines necessary to ensure safe pregnancy, childbirth, and neonatal care from reaching commission went on to claim that Israeli authorities "destroyed in part the reproductive capacity of the Palestinians in Gaza as a group… one of the categories of genocidal acts".At the time of the report, Israel's permanent mission to the UN issued a statement saying it "categorically rejects these baseless accusations".And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded angrily, calling the Human Rights Council - which commissioned the report - "an antisemitic, rotten, terrorist-supporting and irrelevant body".Instead of focusing on war crimes committed by Hamas, he said, it was attacking Israel with "false accusations".A spokesperson for the IDF told BBC Arabic it "does not deliberately target fertility clinics, nor does it seek to prevent the birthrate of Gaza's civilian population."The claim that the IDF intentionally strikes such sites is baseless and demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the purpose of IDF operations in Gaza." 'I watched everything collapse' Dr Ghalayini says all of Gaza's nine fertility clinics have either been destroyed or are no longer able to explains that leaves her and many others with little chance of ever having a child. People like Sara Khudari, who began her fertility treatment in 2020. She was preparing for an embryo to be implanted when the war began in October 2023. The procedure never happened. "I watched everything collapse," she Islam Lubbad, who Al-Basma clinic helped to conceive in 2023, a few months before the war broke out. But a month after the fighting started, she lost her baby, like Noura. "There was no stability. We kept relocating. My body was exhausted," she says, recalling how she did have more frozen embryos stored at Al-Basma Fertility Centre, but they have now been lost and there are no IVF clinics operating left for her to try to get pregnant again.
Emirates Woman
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Emirates Woman
Saudi Princess Noura bint Faisal's Assouline book lets you bring royal heritage home
Fashion has always been political, but rarely does a coffee table book feel like a revolution. Costumes of Saudi Arabia: A Heritage of Fashion, the lavish new Assouline release by Her Highness Princess Noura bint Faisal Al Saud, is more than a collector's item. It's a tangible piece of royal legacy, designed to take pride of place in the homes of those who appreciate art, history, and the quiet power of cultural reclamation. The book is co-authored with Sian Tichar, features photography by Laziz Haman. Imagine your living room adorned with this weighty, clamshell-cased volume, its pages alive with the rich textiles and intricate embroidery of Saudi Arabia's five regions, each garment a silent storyteller of trade, tribe, and tradition. This is not just decor; it's an heirloom in the making, a conversation starter that speaks to a heritage the world has long misunderstood. Princess Noura, a visionary in Saudi Arabia's fashion renaissance and the architect of Saudi Fashion Week, hasn't just curated a book but has crafted an experience. Flipping through its 192 pages feels like receiving a private audience with history. The heavy matte paper, the arresting photography by Laziz Hamani, the careful documentation of pieces rescued from family archives, and every detail whispers exclusivity. This is the kind of tome you display prominently, the kind that signals to guests that your taste extends beyond the superficial. What makes it extraordinary is its intimacy. Unlike sterile museum catalogs, Costumes of Saudi Arabia thrums with life. The pink and silver bridal ensemble from Makkah, the thick wool coats of the north, the embroidered kohl pouches, these aren't relics behind glass. They're heirlooms pulled from trunks and private collections, many photographed for the first time. To own this book is to possess a fragment of that access, a connection to a narrative that has been meticulously preserved, and now, generously shared. And then there's the subversion. For years, Saudi fashion was flattened into a monochrome cliché. Princess Noura and her co-author, Siân Tichař, dismantle that illusion with every page. The vibrant palettes, the daring silhouettes, the intricate beadwork – they all testify to a culture that has always been dynamic. Assouline's signature gold-embossed spine ensures it will stand out on your shelf, but its true luxury lies in what it represents. It is a rare bridge between royal curation and personal enjoyment. Swipe through to get a glimpse of the book – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram Images & Feature Image: Supplied
Emirates Woman
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Emirates Woman
7 empowering female Saudi artists you need to know about
With a budding art culture sweeping the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, there are several noteworthy Saudi artists who have made an impact in the creative industry. From paintings to installations displayed at various exhibitions, these artists are part of the Kingdom's urban landscape as important messages are conveyed through each piece created. Manal AlDowayan From capturing highly skilled women working in her highly acclaimed I Am series (2005) to recording fatal accidents involving women school teachers, Manal Al Dowayan highlights unjust social customs through her pieces while also offering channels for women in the Kingdom through her workshops. By addressing her plea of change through her works of art, Manal has also participated in exhibitions regionally at renowned institutions such as the Sharjah Art Foundation. To find out more details about her work visit Huda Beydoun The Saudi artist and photographer began her career by teaching children with autism and then eventually ventured into her passion for photography. Capturing the images of the lives of illegal immigrants in Saudi Arabia, her work was published in a series entitled Documenting The Undocumented . After honing her craft, Huda has also started her own agency. Mawadah Muhtasib Jeddah-based artist Mawdah Muhtasib has always been passionate about art since an early age and has been celebrated for her distinguished paintings across the globe. she also created the first-ever Arabic Calligraffiti typeface that is a combination of Calligraffiti paintings and mirrored Arabic letters. Madwash's Calligraffiti is a beautiful decorative contemporary Arabic handwritten typeface that is exclusively and exceptionally written from left to right. It is a celebration of a merge of two eras, the legacy of Arabic Calligraphy and the progressiveness of graffiti Art. To find out more details about her work visit Noura Bouzo While not only co-founding the first Arts and Culture magazine in Saudi Arabia and becoming its creative director, Noura is a full-time artist who presents her work at various exhibitions. Known for her most recent exhibition 'A Miniature (Af)fair, Noura's works largely cast light on modern Saudi society, making her one of the most playful artists of her time. To find out more details about her work visit Raeda Ashour Specializing in miniatures, motifs and Islamic decorative units, Raeda Ashour uses her strong visual sense to incorporate elements inspired by the old Arabian cities with its famous architectural and aesthetic features, as she closely delves into the subject through her practice. By honing her own style through her background, Raeda is highly respected in the art realm for her impactful work. For more information visit Sarah Al-Abdali Emerging as one of the kingdom's first street artists, Sarah's work explores Arab culture and Islamic philosophy in every realm through innovative sources of demonstration such as illustration, painting, ceramics, woodwork, drawing and painting. With her deep appreciation for the land and heritage of her home, Abdali experiments with traditional crafts of the Islamic world as seen in exhibitions around the country. To find more details about her work visit Lulwah Al-Homoud Known as a pioneer in the art industry in Saudi Arabia, Lulwah Al Homoud explores the world of calligraphy and Islamic philosophy carefully through her work. Having published books organizing exhibitions and promoting cross-cultural research, Al Homoud presents a fluid movement through her work which represents both simpleness and complexity, as each piece is balanced. To find out more details of her work visit – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram Images: Supplied & Feature Image: Instagram @lulwah_al_homoud
