Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Fears were growing on Monday for the safety of staff detained at Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital after the Israeli military stormed the facility and arrested around 240 people, including its director Dr Hussam Abu Safia, whose detention has sparked widespread criticism.
The Friday night raid on the hospital in Beit Lahia put the last major health facility in northern Gaza out of service, the World Health Organisation has said. The WHO on Monday called for the release of Dr Hussam, who Israel accuses of being a Hamas militant. "His whereabouts are unknown. We call for his immediate release," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X.
Israel's military said it killed about 20 Palestinian militants in the raid and apprehended 240 "terrorists", calling it one of its largest operations in the territory. Dr Hussam's plight has garnered widespread sympathy in Gaza, where he commands respect for persevering through difficult conditions since Israel launched its war on the enclave in October last year.
He has lost a son to the violence as well as his home and has sustained several injuries during Israeli attacks on the hospital. Witnesses to the raid on Kamal Adwan told The National on Monday that Dr Hussam had been unfairly targeted and mistreated. His other son, Idris Abu Safia, said the doctor was forced to strip naked in freezing conditions and physically assaulted.
“Dr Hussam was insulted, humiliated, and ultimately detained. They showed no regard for his position or his contributions,” said a nurse from the hospital who requested anonymity.
Born and raised in Gaza, Dr Hussam received his medical education in Kazakhstan, where he specialised in paediatrics. For years he has served at hospitals in the enclave's north, earning a reputation as a skilled medic with a gentle demeanour, Gazans told The National. He chose to remain at the hospital after the war broke out, despite threats of arrest from Israel.
Patients being treated at Kamal Adwan when the Israelis stormed the hospital on Friday were forcibly taken to smaller medical facilities in Gaza city. The raid was the culmination of a weeks-long military siege of the compound, where Israel says militants are sheltering.
Israa Hassouna, a witness who was with her injured brother at Kamal Adwan, said women were forced out of the hospital at gunpoint. “Some were taken to Al Fakhoura [school], while others were sent to the Indonesian Hospital,” she said. Families begged to stay with the patients but were separated, she added.
Ms Hassouna said she waited hours to be told her brother had been taken to Indonesian Hospital, where she said conditions were dire. “There were no basic necessities – no food, no proper medical supplies. Patients like my brother were brought in by ambulance, but there were barely any nurses, and the hospital had been heavily damaged in previous attacks.”
A WHO delegation later arrived and facilitated an evacuation to Gaza city, she added. “The freezing weather made everything worse. By the time we reached Al Shifa Hospital, everyone’s condition had deteriorated further. The patients had been interrogated by the army and deprived of food and warmth.”
The family of Dr Hussam, along with journalists and activists, have launched a media campaign for his release. “There are testimonies from released detainees about the torture he endured,” his son Idris said. “The occupation tries to deny it, but the truth is evident in the accounts of those who witnessed it first-hand. My father is the director of a civilian hospital, someone who poses no threat to anyone."
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
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Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
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%3Cp%3EDungeons%20%26amp%3B%20Dragons%20began%20as%20an%20interactive%20game%20which%20would%20be%20set%20up%20on%20a%20table%20in%201974.%20One%20player%20takes%20on%20the%20role%20of%20dungeon%20master%2C%20who%20directs%20the%20game%2C%20while%20the%20other%20players%20each%20portray%20a%20character%2C%20determining%20its%20species%2C%20occupation%20and%20moral%20and%20ethical%20outlook.%20They%20can%20choose%20the%20character%E2%80%99s%20abilities%2C%20such%20as%20strength%2C%20constitution%2C%20dexterity%2C%20intelligence%2C%20wisdom%20and%20charisma.%20In%20layman%E2%80%99s%20terms%2C%20the%20winner%20is%20the%20one%20who%20amasses%20the%20highest%20score.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
