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Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Health
- Middle East Eye
The Palestinian babies stricken by meningitis in Gaza
After suffering with diarrhoea for five days, Awnee al-Jorani, a baby born in Gaza in the midst of Israel's war on the besieged Palestinian enclave, was taken to Nasser Medical Complex in the southern city of Khan Younis. The baby's grandmother told Middle East Eye he had a number of other symptoms, including a high fever and constant crying. He was refusing to drink anything. After being admitted to the hospital, al-Jorani was diagnosed with meningitis. The baby's worried grandmother said his mother was not able to breastfeed him because of the lack of available nutrition in Gaza and the stress brought on by Israeli bombardment. 'As you can see, the kid is tired, weak and his condition is poor," the grandmother said. "He just wails all night and during the day he's just staring out into nothingness, he's just frail.' Growing numbers of children in Gaza are contracting meningitis, with the disease spreading across the Strip and dozens admitted to Nasser Hospital. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Dr Ahmed al-Farra, director of paediatrics and maternity at the hospital, told MEE that medical staff were shocked by the number of cases admitted to the medical complex in less than a week. 'All of the cases were admitted under catastrophic conditions with the severe overcrowding in the hospital's wards' - Dr Ahmed al-Farra, Nasser Hospital The Nasser hospital has received at least 40 patients in the paediatric ward presenting with symptoms of the dangerous infection. The complex's management is facing a shortage of medicines, essential supplies and available beds, forcing medical staff to place some sick children on the floor. Meningitis is a potentially fatal infection in the protective membranes and fluid surrounding the brain, 'thus, this disease is incredibly dangerous," al-Farra said. "Meningitis is one of those diseases that must be treated immediately, and identified as soon as possible,' the senior doctor told MEE. If it is not treated, al-Farra said it could result in a number of critical complications, including brain paralysis, the loss of hearing or sight, and an overall impact on the child's general development. A month-old Palestinian infant, Alaa Abu Jameh, diagnosed with meningitis cries (MEE/Ahmed Aziz) 'Unfortunately, all of the cases were admitted under catastrophic conditions with the severe overcrowding in the hospital's wards,' the doctor said. 'The situation is very difficult and catastrophic… I'm not exaggerating when I say there is overcrowding on top of overcrowding [in the hospital].' Al-Farra added that issues treating patients have been compounded by the lack of medical essentials used to properly diagnose and treat patients, especially when it comes to identifying the source of the meningitis - whether it is bacterial or viral. Medical personnel have instead had to treat patients without knowing the cause of their illness and prescribe treatments for bacterial infections due to a lack of medication. Displacement and lack of hygiene Malnutrition suffered by mothers, overcrowding in displacement zones and a lack of clean water for drinking and washing have all exacerbated the spread of meningitis among children in Gaza. Um Alaa Abu Jameh, who is currently in the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, told MEE that she had first taken her daughter, Alaa, to the Kuwait hospital when she had a fever of 40C. Her baby was admitted to the paediatric emergency sector, where doctors suspected she had meningitis after several tests showed that Alaa was not suffering from a lung infection. The meningitis diagnosis was confirmed after they took a sample from her back. According to Alaa's mother, her diagnosis came as a result of a bacterial infection due to a lack of hygienic conditions. Two Gaza infants die under Israeli siege amid baby formula shortage Read More » 'We're living the life of displacement camps, and she's only been alive for a month,' the mother said, adding that her daughter suffers from diarrhoea as well. The baby spends the entire time crying, especially when she is laid down. Alongside her child's infection, the mother also has a difficult time providing her with baby formula, nappies and other essentials due to skyrocketing prices and the lack of availability for these items brought on by Israel's blocking of humanitarian supplies into Gaza. Struggling with her daughter's cries of pain, Umm Alaa urged organisations to provide necessary items for babies amid rising market prices. Similarly, al-Faraa stressed the need for an end to the war on Gaza and the opening of corridors to let in essentials for treating these infections as well as letting in proper food and nutrition, such as baby formula, to strengthen the immune system of children. The doctor said that displaced Palestinians should be allowed to go back to their respective areas because diseases like meningitis thrive in camps and among displaced people.
Int'l Business Times
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Israel Claimed to Have Killed a 'Terrorist' in a Gaza Strike. The Man Killed Had Cerebral Palsy, Special Needs
Israeli forces celebrated the death of a Palestinian man in Gaza they declared a "terrorist," only for journalists to discover he had been a man with cerebral palsy and special needs. Muhammad al-Farra, a Palestinian man who had lost his father and four sisters since the beginning of Israel's war on Gaza, was killed by an Israeli attack in May while walking to his home in the Satar neighborhood of Khan Yunis, a Haaretz investigation revealed. On May 30, prominent Israeli journalist Amit Segal shared a video of al-Farra's death on Telegram with the caption "Gaza," a post that garnered thousands of Israeli flag reactions and likes. Al-Farra's sister, Heba al-Farra, who survived the same attack, later identified her brother in the footage. "It didn't matter who the person was – only that he was from Gaza and the people who killed him were Israeli," wrote Mosab Abu Toha, a Pulitzer Prize–winning Palestinian writer. "There's no further detail because our lives in Gaza don't matter," Abu Toha continued. "I look at that footage – the way this man walked shows he was starving for days. Why the hell would you kill him with a missile? A missile, for one man? Why kill him at all?" The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) defended al-Farra's murder by claiming he was "identified as a terrorist observing our forces and moving between buildings used for terrorist activity." "The IDF operates to minimize harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure in accordance with the laws of war and makes significant efforts to take precautions prior to attacks," the military said in a statement. According to Haaretz, al-Farra's family said Israeli forces prevented them from retrieving his body "for several hours." Originally published on Latin Times
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gaza pediatrician and mother loses 9 of 10 children after Israeli airstrike hits their home, hospital says
A pediatrician and mother of 10 is mourning the deaths of nine of her young children after an Israeli airstrike hit their home near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday, according to hospital officials. Dr. Alaa al-Najjar's husband, also a doctor, was severely wounded and is now in intensive care. Their only surviving child was also injured, according to Dr. Munir al-Bursh, director-general of the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. "This is the reality our medical staff in Gaza endure. Words fall short in describing the pain," al-Bursh said in a statement on Friday night. "In Gaza, it is not only healthcare workers who are targeted -- Israel's aggression goes further, wiping out entire families." Nasser Medical Complex, where al-Najjar works as a pediatric specialist in the al-Tahrir clinic, expressed condolences in a statement, saying: "We are speechless, and our breaths suffocate in the face of the horror of this tragedy." MORE: Doctor details Gaza famine: 'We're not asking for miracles. We're asking for food' When asked for comment, the Israel Defense Forces told ABC News its aircraft on Friday "struck a number of suspects who were identified operating from a structure adjacent to IDF troops in the area of Khan Yunis" and that the "claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review." "The Khan Yunis area is a dangerous war zone," the IDF added. "Before beginning operations there, the IDF evacuated civilians from this area for their own safety." Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, head of pediatrics and obstetrics at the Tahrir clinic in Nasser Medical Complex, confirmed the incident, telling ABC News in a telephone interview Saturday that al-Najjar was at work when she received word on Friday afternoon that strikes had hit Qizan an-Najjar, the area where her family lives, south of Khan Younis. "She felt by her heart that something happened to her family," al-Farra said. "She left and walked and tried to run without transport." "Unfortunately, she discovered that her house was completely destroyed," he added. Among the children who were killed, five were boys and four were girls, with the youngest being a seven-month-old daughter and the eldest a 12-year-old son, according to al-Farra. "They were completely burned," he told ABC News. MORE: Aid trucks looted in southern Gaza as famine looms due to blockade: UN The one child who survived, al-Najjar's 11-year-old son, had to undergo two surgeries and remains in critical condition in the hospital, according to al-Farra. The father, al-Najjar's husband, also remains hospitalized in critical condition after undergoing surgeries and may have to have a leg amputated, al-Farra said. When asked whether any humanitarian aid had reached Nasser Medical Complex, one of the largest hospitals in Gaza, al-Farra told ABC News that they still haven't received anything because what little aid was distributed so far this week has been stolen by armed gangs. The World Food Programme, the food assistance branch of the United Nations, said more than a dozen of its aid trucks were looted in southern Gaza late Thursday as 2 million people in the war-torn territory face "extreme hunger and famine without immediate action." The looting came just days after Israel succumbed to global pressure and eased its 11-weeklong blockade on all supplies entering neighboring Gaza, which the U.N. and other international aid organizations said has caused widespread malnutrition and conditions likely to lead to famine. The aid blockade went into effect in early March as the initial phase of a two-month ceasefire expired between Israel and Gaza's militant rulers, Hamas. The Israeli government is working with the U.S. to set up aid distribution points in southern and central Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday. But the plan, set to begin Monday, has faced criticism from established aid organizations that have been operating inside of Gaza for the past 19 months. The war between Israel and Hamas broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas fighters entered Israel and killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages. There are still 58 hostages held captive by Hamas, 20 of whom are presumed to be alive. Hamas is believed to be holding the bodies of four Americans. The war has taken a large toll on Palestinians, with over 53,000 killed in Gaza since the conflict began, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. While statistics do not distinguish between military and non-military casualties, women and children make up tens of thousands of this number, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. -ABC News' Samy Zayara and Nasser Atta contributed to this report. Gaza pediatrician and mother loses 9 of 10 children after Israeli airstrike hits their home, hospital says originally appeared on
24-05-2025
- Health
Gaza pediatrician and mother loses 9 of 10 children after Israeli airstrike hits their home, hospital says
A pediatrician and mother of 10 is mourning the deaths of nine of her young children after an Israeli airstrike hit their home near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday, according to hospital officials. Dr. Alaa al-Najjar's husband, also a doctor, was severely wounded and is now in intensive care. Their only surviving child was also injured, according to Dr. Munir al-Bursh, director-general of the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. "This is the reality our medical staff in Gaza endure. Words fall short in describing the pain," al-Bursh said in a statement on Friday night. "In Gaza, it is not only healthcare workers who are targeted -- Israel's aggression goes further, wiping out entire families." Nasser Medical Complex, where al-Najjar works as a pediatric specialist in the al-Tahrir clinic, expressed condolences in a statement, saying: "We are speechless, and our breaths suffocate in the face of the horror of this tragedy." When asked for comment, the Israel Defense Forces told ABC News its aircraft on Friday "struck a number of suspects who were identified operating from a structure adjacent to IDF troops in the area of Khan Yunis" and that the "claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review." "The Khan Yunis area is a dangerous war zone," the IDF added. "Before beginning operations there, the IDF evacuated civilians from this area for their own safety." Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, head of pediatrics and obstetrics at the Tahrir clinic in Nasser Medical Complex, confirmed the incident, telling ABC News in a telephone interview Saturday that al-Najjar was at work when she received word on Friday afternoon that strikes had hit Qizan an-Najjar, the area where her family lives, south of Khan Younis. "She felt by her heart that something happened to her family," al-Farra said. "She left and walked and tried to run without transport." "Unfortunately, she discovered that her house was completely destroyed," he added. Among the children who were killed, five were boys and four were girls, with the youngest being a seven-month-old daughter and the eldest a 12-year-old son, according to al-Farra. "They were completely burned," he told ABC News. The one child who survived, al-Najjar's 11-year-old son, had to undergo two surgeries and remains in critical condition in the hospital, according to al-Farra. The father, al-Najjar's husband, also remains hospitalized in critical condition after undergoing surgeries and may have to have a leg amputated, al-Farra said. When asked whether any humanitarian aid had reached Nasser Medical Complex, one of the largest hospitals in Gaza, al-Farra told ABC News that they still haven't received anything because what little aid was distributed so far this week has been stolen by armed gangs. The World Food Programme, the food assistance branch of the United Nations, said more than a dozen of its aid trucks were looted in southern Gaza late Thursday as 2 million people in the war-torn territory face "extreme hunger and famine without immediate action." The looting came just days after Israel succumbed to global pressure and eased its 11-weeklong blockade on all supplies entering neighboring Gaza, which the U.N. and other international aid organizations said has caused widespread malnutrition and conditions likely to lead to famine. The aid blockade went into effect in early March as the initial phase of a two-month ceasefire expired between Israel and Gaza's militant rulers, Hamas. The Israeli government is working with the U.S. to set up aid distribution points in southern and central Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday. But the plan, set to begin Monday, has faced criticism from established aid organizations that have been operating inside of Gaza for the past 19 months. The war between Israel and Hamas broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas fighters entered Israel and killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages. There are still 58 hostages held captive by Hamas, 20 of whom are presumed to be alive. Hamas is believed to be holding the bodies of four Americans. The war has taken a large toll on Palestinians, with over 53,000 killed in Gaza since the conflict began, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. While statistics do not distinguish between military and non-military casualties, women and children make up tens of thousands of this number, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
Al Arabiya
11-04-2025
- Al Arabiya
Israeli airstrike on Gaza kills 10, including seven children: Rescuers
Gaza's civil defense agency reported that a pre-dawn Israeli air strike on Friday killed 10 members of the same family, including seven children, in the southern city of Khan Younis. 'Ten people, including seven children, were brought to the hospital as martyrs following an Israeli air strike that targeted the al-Farra family home in central Khan Younis,' agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP. Developing...
