Iraq welcomes first batch of wounded Palestinians for treatment


Sinan Mahmoud
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

The first group of wounded Palestinians from the conflict-ridden Gaza Strip has arrived in Baghdad to receive treatment at Iraqi hospitals, the country's health ministry said in a statement.

A total of 27 patients injured in the Israel-Gaza war and with chronic diseases, accompanied by 42 carers, were flown on a military aircraft from Egypt late on Wednesday, the ministry said.

They arrived at Martyr Muhammad Alaa Airbase, at Baghdad International Airport, where ambulances waited to pick them up.

Patients were seen emerging from the aircraft on crutches, in wheelchairs and on stretchers. Some of the arrivals had Palestinian flags and keffiyehs draped over their shoulders.

Health ministry spokesman Saif Al Badr told The National that the Palestinians' injuries included burns and fractured bones.

They range in age from 10 to 70 years old, Mr Al Badr said, and among the elderly are patients with chronic diseases such as cancer and kidney failure.

“There is no time frame for their staying and they will leave whenever they finish the needed treatment,” he added, saying Iraq is ready to receive more Palestinians.

At least 35,800 Palestinians have been killed and 80,011 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since the outbreak of the war in October, the enclave's health ministry said on Thursday.

Vast swathes of Gaza have been levelled during the conflict. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced and the lack of basic needs has prompted fears of a humanitarian crisis.

Thousands of wounded and sick Palestinians have been able to leave for treatment in Egypt and other countries since late last year.

Iraq welcomes first batch of wounded Palestinians for treatment – in pictures

  • Iraq welcomed the first batch of Palestinians wounded in the Israel-Gaza war. All photos: Aymen Al-Ameri / The National
    Iraq welcomed the first batch of Palestinians wounded in the Israel-Gaza war. All photos: Aymen Al-Ameri / The National
  • The 27 patients will be treated at hospitals in Baghdad
    The 27 patients will be treated at hospitals in Baghdad
  • The first batch of injured Gaza residents was accompanied by 42 carers
    The first batch of injured Gaza residents was accompanied by 42 carers
  • Reem Mohammed with her daughter after arriving in Iraq
    Reem Mohammed with her daughter after arriving in Iraq
  • The 27 patients were flown in from Egypt
    The 27 patients were flown in from Egypt
  • Ahmed lost his wife, daughter-in-law and six-month-old granddaughter in one attack
    Ahmed lost his wife, daughter-in-law and six-month-old granddaughter in one attack
  • The move to treat the wounded Gazans is Baghdad's latest gesture in support of Palestinians in the besieged enclave
    The move to treat the wounded Gazans is Baghdad's latest gesture in support of Palestinians in the besieged enclave
  • Iraq is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause
    Iraq is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause
  • Baghdad has, on numerous occasions, criticised the lack of global support for Palestinians
    Baghdad has, on numerous occasions, criticised the lack of global support for Palestinians
  • The arrival of the patients is part of Iraq's 'Help Gaza' campaign launched by the government on April 7
    The arrival of the patients is part of Iraq's 'Help Gaza' campaign launched by the government on April 7
  • Under the campaign, Palestinians wounded in Gaza are set to receive treatment in private hospitals within Iraq
    Under the campaign, Palestinians wounded in Gaza are set to receive treatment in private hospitals within Iraq

'Our life was beautiful before the war'

Among those who arrived in Baghdad was 13-year-old Mousa Mohammed Mousa.

Mousa crossed with his grandmother to Egypt in December, two weeks after two missiles hit a three-storey building in the Nuseirat area where they were sheltering. Six people were killed and 26 others from his family were wounded in the attack.

“I was sleeping when the explosion threw me outside the building,” Mousa told The National from his bed at Baghdad Medical City.

He received early treatment inside Gaza and then in Egypt for a broken pelvis and torn tendons in his right hand. He is likely to undergo plastic surgery in Baghdad.

“Our life was beautiful before the war,” he said. “We were going to schools, playing football, spending time by the beach and at restaurants but now devastation is everywhere,” he added.

In our entire life, we have never encountered a war of such ferocity
Ibtisam Kamil Al Amawi

His grandmother, Ibtisam Kamil Al Amawi, 56, added: “In our entire life, we have never encountered a war of such ferocity.

“It’s a genocide. As if they are telling us: ‘We want to kill you all,’” said Ms Al Amawi, who turned the TV on to live coverage of the war.

Next door, Reem Mohammed Abu Taha sat next to her 14-year-old daughter, Liyan. Two of her sons, aged seven and 17, were asleep in other rooms.

They were among 50 people inside a five-storey building in the Al Amal neighbourhood of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, when it was hit by four missiles in early December. Twelve people, including her 19-year old son, were killed.

Thirty minutes after the attack, they found Liyan under the rubble.

“She was in a coma and almost dead with shrapnel all over her body, brain bleeding and skull fractures,” Ms Abu Taha recalled, adding that her other sons also sustained fractures and burns.

She described Khan Younis as a “ghost city” where “no houses, no mosques and no hospitals remain, forcing all the residents to leave”.

Iraq is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause and has condemned the international community for not pressuring Israel to stop the war.

In March, the cabinet approved $25 million for the UN's Palestinian refugee agency, after international donors halted funding to UNRWA over allegations that employees were involved in the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israeli communities.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

MATCH INFO

Bayern Munich 2 Borussia Monchengladbach 1
Bayern:
 Zirkzee (26'), Goretzka (86')
Gladbach: Pavard (37' og)

Man of the Match: Breel Embolo (Borussia Monchengladbach)

How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.

There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Match info

Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)

RESULTS
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Marfa%20Deira%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Dirt)%201%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wadheha%2C%20Bernardo%20Pinheiro%20(jockey)%2C%20Majed%20Al%20Jahouri%20(trainer)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.35pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20Creek%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBarq%20Al%20Emarat%2C%20Bernardo%20Pinheiro%2C%20Ismail%20Mohammed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.10pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMina%20Hamriya%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh95%2C000%20(D)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tahdeed%2C%20Dane%20O%E2%80%99Neill%2C%20Michael%20Costa%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.45pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mina%20Rashid%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C900m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeyaasi%2C%20Xavier%20Ziani%2C%20Salem%20bin%20Ghadayer%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E8.20pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAl%20Garhoud%20Sprint%20DP%20World%20%E2%80%93%20Listed%20(TB)%20Dh132%2C500%20(D)%201%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mouheeb%2C%20Ray%20Dawson%2C%20Michael%20Costa%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E8.55pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mirdiff%20Stakes%20Jebel%20Ali%20Port%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(TB)%20Dh120%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seyouff%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Michael%20Costa%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E9.30pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jebel%20Ali%20Free%20Zone%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh95%2C000%20(D)%202%2C000m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAjuste%20Fiscal%2C%20Jose%20da%20Silva%2C%20Julio%20Olascoaga%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.

Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.

For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae

 

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

%3Cp%3EMATA%0D%3Cbr%3EArtist%3A%20M.I.A%0D%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Island%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: May 24, 2024, 11:57 AM