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."
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Seven tips from Emirates NBD
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Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
