Fifth batch of UAE medical volunteers head to Gaza to treat wounded Palestinians


  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

Another group of medical workers have left the UAE for Gaza to help treat wounded Palestinians in the continuing conflict with Israel.

Eight volunteers make up the fifth batch who will join the other doctors and nurses to care for Palestinians.

It brings the total number of UAE medical volunteers to 43, after nine others were flown to Gaza last week.

The UAE's field hospital in the Gaza Strip has tended to more than 757 patients since it opened, offering treatment from first-aid to life-saving surgery, state news agency Wam reported.

The hospital opened on December 2 as part of the Gallant Knight 3 humanitarian operation ordered by President Sheikh Mohamed.

It includes operating rooms equipped to perform general, paediatric and vascular surgery, as well as intensive care rooms for adults and children, an anaesthesia department and specialised clinics including internal medicine, dentistry, orthopaedics, psychiatry, family medicine, paediatrics and gynaecology.

This week, the UAE sent more than 1.6 million pieces of warm clothing and blankets to Gaza to help Palestinians cope with the harsh winter conditions.

The aid convoy was overseen by the Emirates Red Crescent, the humanitarian arm of the UAE government, as part of its 'Be their Warmth' campaign.

The crucial supplies – which are to be distributed in phases – will support those struggling without shelter as temperatures plunge and the Israel-Gaza war rages on.

More than 21,100 people have been killed in Gaza since the war broke out on October 7, the enclave's Health Ministry said.

The vast majority of Gaza's 2.2-million population is believed to have been displaced, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian aid.

Latest from the Israel-Gaza war – in pictures

  • Houthi fighters shout gather in Sanaa. The rebels have launched attacks in the Red Sea in response to the Gaza war. EPA
    Houthi fighters shout gather in Sanaa. The rebels have launched attacks in the Red Sea in response to the Gaza war. EPA
  • From left, Israeli Foreign Ministry adviser Tal Becker, lawyer Malcolm Shaw and Gilad Noam, deputy attorney general for international affairs, at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. AFP
    From left, Israeli Foreign Ministry adviser Tal Becker, lawyer Malcolm Shaw and Gilad Noam, deputy attorney general for international affairs, at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. AFP
  • A Palestinian man injured in an Israeli strike receives treatment in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. AP
    A Palestinian man injured in an Israeli strike receives treatment in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. AP
  • Palestinian medics mourn after members of the Palestinian Red Crescent were killed in an Israeli strike in Deir Al Balah. Reuters
    Palestinian medics mourn after members of the Palestinian Red Crescent were killed in an Israeli strike in Deir Al Balah. Reuters
  • Israeli soldiers take up positions during a ground operation in Khan Younis. AP
    Israeli soldiers take up positions during a ground operation in Khan Younis. AP
  • Mourners gather at Al Najar hospital in Rafah, after several relatives of a member of the Hamas general military council were killed in a strike. AFP
    Mourners gather at Al Najar hospital in Rafah, after several relatives of a member of the Hamas general military council were killed in a strike. AFP
  • Palestinians wait to receive food aid in Rafah. AP
    Palestinians wait to receive food aid in Rafah. AP
  • A mass grave in Rafah. More than 23,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7. AFP
    A mass grave in Rafah. More than 23,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7. AFP
  • Palestinians search the rubble of destroyed buildings after an Israeli attack on Rafah. AFP
    Palestinians search the rubble of destroyed buildings after an Israeli attack on Rafah. AFP
  • Injured Palestinians receive treatment at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. AFP
    Injured Palestinians receive treatment at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. AFP
  • Smoke rises over Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, as seen from Rafah, during sustained Israeli air strikes. AFP
    Smoke rises over Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, as seen from Rafah, during sustained Israeli air strikes. AFP
  • The destruction has spread throughout the Gaza Strip, from the north to Rafah in the south. Reuters
    The destruction has spread throughout the Gaza Strip, from the north to Rafah in the south. Reuters
  • Israeli soldiers stand on an armoured personnel carrier near the Israel-Gaza border, in southern Israel. Reuters
    Israeli soldiers stand on an armoured personnel carrier near the Israel-Gaza border, in southern Israel. Reuters
  • Smoke rises following Israeli air strikes in Khan Younis, the southern Gaza Strip. EPA
    Smoke rises following Israeli air strikes in Khan Younis, the southern Gaza Strip. EPA
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu receives a security briefing with commanders and soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip. AP
    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu receives a security briefing with commanders and soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip. AP
  • Palestinians mourn their relatives killed in an Israeli strike on the Al Maghazi refugee camp. AFP
    Palestinians mourn their relatives killed in an Israeli strike on the Al Maghazi refugee camp. AFP
  • A Palestinian man detained by the Israeli military awaits treatment for his injuries in Rafah. AFP
    A Palestinian man detained by the Israeli military awaits treatment for his injuries in Rafah. AFP
Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

The biog

Name: Mariam Ketait

Emirate: Dubai

Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language

Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown

Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to help

Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:

2289 - Dh10

2252 - Dh50

6025 - Dh20

6027 - Dh100

6026 - Dh200

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

MO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Amer%2C%20Ramy%20Youssef%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Amer%2C%20Teresa%20Ruiz%2C%20Omar%20Elba%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos

Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km

While you're here
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals

Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent   

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETwin-turbo%2C%20V8%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20automatic%20and%20manual%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E503%20bhp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E513Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh646%2C800%20(%24176%2C095)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULTS

Manchester United 2

Anthony Martial 30'

Scott McTominay 90 6' 

Manchester City 0

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (All UAE kick-off times)

Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (11.30pm)

Saturday

Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)

FA Augsburg v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)

RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen (6.30pm)

SC Paderborn v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)

Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Monchengladbach (9.30pm)

Sunday

Cologne v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)

Mainz v FC Schalke (9pm)

Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

The low down

Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films

Director: Namrata Singh Gujral

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark

Rating: 2/5

How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):

Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE

Match is on BeIN Sports

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Updated: December 28, 2023, 6:47 AM