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Like many other doctors in Gaza, Dr Majed Jaber feels helpless amid Israel's continuing attacks on health centres and a lack of medical supplies after an 11-week blockade on the entry of aid.
Dr Jaber, 28, worked at the neonatal intensive care unit at the European Hospital in Khan Younis before it was bombed by the Israeli army on May 13.
“The hospital I was working at was bombed not once, but repeatedly,” Dr Jaber said.
The hospital's infrastructure is largely destroyed and the doctors there have no access to supplies or medication as Israeli troops and army vehicles remain stationed outside.
“We have seen it many times, injured patients losing limbs, bleeding to death. Even though we had the ability to save them, now we're just bystanders to all the tragedies that have been ongoing,” Dr Jaber said.
Among the most painful sights, he added, are the children suffering from starvation because of the lack of food caused by the Israeli blockade.
Gaza's Health Ministry has reported at least 57 child deaths from malnutrition since the blockade began on March 2. The UN's humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned on Tuesday that thousands of babies could die soon without immediate intervention.
“The children of Gaza today look like skeletons draped in skin,” Dr Jaber said. Severe malnutrition has become the “new normal”, he added.
“I’ve seen children so fragile, they can’t even chew food properly or digest their mother’s milk.”
These babies need special formula to provide them with the nutrition they require, but this is expensive and almost non-existent in the Gaza Strip, he said.
Faced with mounting pressure from its allies over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, Israel on Monday announced that it was allowing aid deliveries to resume. Since then, about 90 lorries have delivered "nutrition supplies, flour, medicines, and other critical aid to multiple destinations within Gaza", UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday.
Even before the war between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023, Gaza needed at least 600 lorries of supplies each day to support its 2.3 million residents.
After 19 months of devastating bombardment and repeated displacement, the severe scarcity of essentials is having catastrophic effects on the population, Dr Jaber said.
“This is not only physical destruction, it’s emotional annihilation,” he said.
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH RESULT
Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira: Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
RACECARD
4.30pm Jebel Jais – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (Turf) 1,000m
5pm: Jabel Faya – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (T) 1,000m
5.30pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep – Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club – Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
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