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• 16yearold
• March 30, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSomalia’s football pitch that doubles as an execution groundPublished23 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPBy Naima Said SalahMogadishuOn a beach in the Somali capital, Mogadishu stand six tall concrete posts planted in the pure white sand. The waves of the bright blue Indian Ocean break gently nearby – and often bear witness to some grim events.Warning: This article contains descriptions that some people may find upsettingEvery so often the security forces bring men to this place, tie them to the posts with plastic ropes, place black hoods over their heads and shoot them dead.The members of the specially trained firing squad also have their faces hidden.The dead men’s heads flop down but their bodies remain upright, lashed to the poles. Their ragged shirts and sarongs flap in the breeze. Some have been convicted by the military court of belonging to the Islamist group al-Shabab, which has spread terror in Somalia for nearly 20 years and controls large parts of the country.Others are soldiers found guilty of murdering civilians or colleagues. Occasionally the court deals with common criminals sentenced to death because their offences are so serious.At least 25 people were executed on the beach last year.The latest person facing execution is Said Ali Moalim Daud who was sentenced to death on 6 March for locking his wife, Lul Abdiaziz, in a room and setting it on fire. He said he had burned her alive because she had asked for a divorce.Just behind the killing ground is a small informal settlement in Hamar Jajab district – full of crumbling dwellings and makeshift shelters where about 50 families live on the site of what used to be a police academy. “As soon as my five little boys come home from school, they rush down to the beach to run about or play football,” says Fartun Mohammed Ismail, one of the shoreside residents of the old police training centre.Image source, Naima Said SalahImage caption, The executions, when men are tied to these poles, are usually carried out between 06:00 and 07:00 and local residents are able to watch”They use the execution poles as goalposts,” she says.”I worry about my children’s health because they play in the blood spilt where people are shot.”The area is not cleaned up after executions.”The graves of those who have been shot are found around the beach.Ms Ismail says her children are used to violence and insecurity because they were born in Mogadishu, a city affected by conflict for 33 years. Yet she and other parents feel that playing in the blood of convicted criminals is too much.However, it is hard to stop the children from joining their friends on the beach when most parents are trying to scrape together a living so are not always around to intervene.Executions usually take place early in the morning, between 06:00 and 07:00.Only journalists are invited to witness the killings but nobody stops local residents, including children, from gathering around and watching.In fact the beach was chosen as a place of execution in 1975 by Siad Barre when he was president precisely because locals nearby could watch.His military government erected the poles for some Islamic clerics who were shot on the spot for opposing a new family law that gave girls and boys equal rights in inheritance.Today only the posts remain, although crowds are no longer actively encouraged.Nonetheless parents worry that the children who play on the execution ground risk being shot when someone is put to death.They say their offspring are terrified of police and soldiers because they only associate them with killing people in front of their eyes. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Faduma Abdullahi Qasim’s son was one of more than 120 people who died in the double car bombs that rocked Mogadishu in October 2022″I struggle to sleep at night and feel acutely anxious all the time,” admits Faduma Abdullahi Qasim, who also lives in the neighbourhood within metres of the execution ground. “Sometimes I hear gunshots in the morning and know someone has been put to death,” she says.”I try to keep my children indoors all the time. We are sad and inactive. I hate going outside and seeing blood seeping into the sand beside me.”Although most of the residents who live in the neighbourhood are traumatised by living so close to the execution ground, many Somalis support the death penalty, especially for members of al-Shabab. Ms Qasim is unusual in opposing it – especially given that her 17-year-old son, who worked as a cleaner at a snack bar, was killed in a huge double car bombing in Mogadishu in October 2022. More than 120 people died and 300 were injured in the attack, blamed on al-Shabab.”I don’t know personally the people who are being executed but I believe the practice is inhumane,” she says.It is not only children from the beachside neighbourhood who play on the sand near the execution posts. Young people from other parts of the city gather there, especially on Fridays, Somalia’s weekend.Image source, AFPImage caption, People flock to Mogadishu’s beaches over the weekendOne of them is 16-year-old Abdirahman Adam.”My brother and I come here every Friday to swim and play football on the beach,” he says.”My sister comes too, dressed in her finest clothes so she can post and look beautiful when we take pictures of her.”He and the others that flock to the beach do know about the executions and the graves of people who were shot there – but they go regardless.For them the central and beautiful location is more important.”Our classmates are jealous when they see the photos. They don’t know we are hanging out at an execution ground.”Naima Said Salah is a journalist with Somalia’s only all-women media house, Bilan Media.More Somalia stories from the BBC:Pelted with stones – the life of Somalis with albinismYoung, female and addicted in SomaliaWhat beauty parlours reveal about Somali womenRelated TopicsMogadishuSomaliaAfricaAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastsAfrica Daily podcastsTop StoriesDUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigns after rape chargePublished6 hours agoWar a real threat and Europe not ready, warns Poland’s PMPublished1 hour agoIranian TV host stabbed outside London homePublished3 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: DUP leader charged and water bills ‘to rise 56%’Analysis: DUP resignation is a political bombshellSeven bills going up and one going down in AprilAI photos show people with cancer their lost future’I drove 14 hours to see a Banksy for 10 minutes’The football pitch that doubles as an execution groundEwan McGregor ‘turned into his grandad’ in new roleA view from inside ship that hit Baltimore bridge. VideoA view from inside ship that hit Baltimore bridgeBeyoncé’s country album: The verdictElsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a Dublin factory that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIf aliens existed, what would they look like?Let Brian Cox and Robin Ince guide you through the universe’s big questionsAttributionSoundsThe ultimate bromanceEnjoy the genius of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore with a journey through the archivesAttributioniPlayerThe deadly history of wallpaper…Discover the extraordinary stories of the ordinary items all around youAttributionSoundsMost Read1Iranian TV host stabbed outside London home2’Escorted through the airport like a criminal’3DUP leader charged and water bills ‘to rise 56%’4Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigns after rape charge5Olly Alexander rejects call to boycott Eurovision6Trump pushes legal challenges in two cases7War a real threat and Europe not ready, warns Poland’s PM8AI millionaire: ‘Video games can boost creativity’9Actress ‘upset’ at son’s trampoline park exclusion10Gladiators reaches final after successful reboot

[ad_1] Goalposts used by children on a beach in Somalia’s capital are posts set up for firing squad executions.

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• 16yearold
• March 24, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSimon Harris: Profile of a man in a hurry to the topPublished28 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty Images/NurPhotoImage caption, Simon Harris, now 37, organised his first political meeting when he was a 16-year-old schoolboyBy Eimear FlanaganBBC News NISimon Harris is set to replace Leo Varadkar, not only as taoiseach but also as the youngest person ever to lead the Republic of Ireland.At 37, he is a year younger than Mr Varadkar was when he took the same job in 2017.For Simon Harris, it has been a rapid rise to the top of Irish politics, but then he did start out very early.The County Wicklow native organised his first political meeting at just 16 years of age.He was also in such a hurry to start his career in politics that he dropped out of college without finishing his degree.”I know, in many ways, my career has been a bit odd,” Mr Harris told Hot Press magazine in 2022. “I was a county councillor at 22. I was a TD (member of the Irish Parliament) at 24. “I was a junior minister at 27. I was the health minister at 29. “Life came at me a lot faster than I expected it to.”Mr Harris was confirmed as Fine Gael leader after he was the only candidate to seek the role – now he is on course to become taoiseach following Mr Varadkar’s shock resignation announcement on Wednesday.Who is Simon Harris?Image source, Getty Images/NurPhotoImage caption, Simon Harris has served as a minister in the Irish cabinet for the past eight yearsMr Harris was born in 1986 and grew up in the coastal town of Greystones, County Wicklow.The eldest of three children, he is the son of a taxi driver and a special needs assistant.His younger brother Adam is autistic – a fact which Mr Harris said kickstarted his own involvement in politics when he was 16.”I was really frustrated – as that moody, opinionated teenager – with the lack of information around autism,” he told Hotpress.”I saw the stress and strain my parents went through, and called a public meeting in my hometown.”The teenager invited autistic people and their families to a gathering in his local parish hall.About 60 people attended the event, which resulted in the establishment of a new autism support and lobby group. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on TwitterThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Skip twitter post by Simon Harris TDAllow Twitter content?This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.Accept and continueThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.End of twitter post by Simon Harris TDAs a schoolboy, Mr Harris attended St David’s Holy Faith Secondary School in Greystones before beginning a degree in journalism and French at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT).However, the future minister for further and higher education dropped out of college during the penultimate year of his four-year degree course.He deferred his studies to work as a parliamentary assistant to Fine Gael Senator Frances Fitzgerald, but very soon he entered elected politics himself.In 2009 he became a councillor in Wicklow, attracting the highest individual vote of any candidate in the county.When Fine Gael swept to power in 2011 to lead a new coalition government, Mr Harris won a seat for the party in Wicklow. Aged 24, he was “the baby of the House” as the youngest member of the 31st Dáil (Irish parliament).Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, As the youngest member of the Irish Parliament, Simon Harris met the late Queen Elizabeth in Dublin in 2011His got his first cabinet role in 2016, taking on the prestigious but difficult role of health minister.The following summer he married his long-term girlfriend, children’s cardiac nurse Caoimhe Wade.His brother Adam was best man at the ceremony.Mr Harris is now father to two children.Image source, RTEImage caption, Mr Harris married aged 30 and has since had two childrenIn 2018, he intervened in the case of a nine-year-old schoolboy who was born in Dublin but was facing deportation to China.Eric Zhi Ying Xue had never been outside Ireland, but was not entitled to Irish citizenship due to a 2004 law change.”Quite frankly, Eric is Irish,” Mr Harris told BBC News NI at the time.”This is his home. This is his country. I really hope common sense can prevail.”He appealed to the Department of Justice and, after a wider campaign led by the boy’s school, Eric was granted leave to stay. Covid-19 gaffeMr Harris had served as health minister for more than three and a half years when he faced his biggest challenge – the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.Image source, Getty Images/NurPhotoImage caption, As health minister, Simon Harris led Ireland’s initial response to the coronovirus emergencyThe Republic of Ireland took early precautions, closing all schools and colleges almost a fortnight before the UK enforced its lockdown.But six weeks into the national emergency, Mr Harris made a surprising gaffe regarding the name of the disease.Speaking about the prospect of a future vaccine, he said: “Remember this is coronavirus Covid-19, that means there have been 18 other coronaviruses and I don’t think they have successfully found a vaccine for any.”But Covid-19 was named by the World Health Organization to reflect the year the disease was discovered, having been first identified in China in late 2019. Widely ridiculed on social media for his lack of knowledge, Mr Harris apologised for what he described as an “awful boo-boo”. Two months later he was replaced as health minister when a new coalition government was formed.Mr Harris was moved to a newly-created department, becoming minister for further and higher education, research, innovation and science.’My most important job’He still holds that job and still lives in Wicklow with his young family. In an opinion piece to mark Father’s Day in 2022 he said parenthood was “the most important job I have, and ever will have”.”For me, fatherhood changed my whole life. The hours I was happy to spend at my desk can sometimes be spent worrying about missed moments and milestones with the children,” he wrote.However, commentators have noted Mr Harris has made no secret of his political ambitions.His name began to circulate as a frontrunner as soon as it was clear the job of taoiseach was up for grabs. Related TopicsLeo VaradkarRepublic of IrelandMore on this storyVaradkar steps down for ‘personal and political’ reasonsPublished4 days agoI am no longer best man to be Irish PM – VaradkarPublished3 days agoTop StoriesZelensky hits back after Russia links Ukraine to concert attackPublished5 hours agoRosenberg: As Russia mourns, how will Putin react to concert attack?Published3 hours agoTriple lock for pensions stays if we win election, says HuntPublished4 hours agoFeaturesIs now the time Palestinian politics can start afresh?Did Russia ignore US ‘extremist’ attacks warning?The Brazilian teen who scored winner against EnglandAttributionSportYour pictures on the theme of ‘reflections’‘Having a certificate of loss proves my baby existed’Kate cancer diagnosis rewrites story of past weeksSimon Harris – the man on the brink of Irish history First woman completes one of world’s toughest racesEngland kits ‘should connect people’Elsewhere on the BBCWhy do people behave the way they do on social media?Marianna Spring investigates extraordinary cases of online hate to find out…AttributioniPlayerCritically acclaimed and utterly compelling…Masterful, claustrophobic drama starring Sofie Gråbøl as a troubled prison guardAttributioniPlayerFrom triumph to tragedy…After more than 30 years of service, America’s space shuttle took to the skies for the last timeAttributioniPlayerCan new evidence solve aviation’s greatest mystery?Ten years after the Malaysian Airlines flight disappeared, new technology may explain whyAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Zelensky hits back after Russia links Ukraine to concert attack2Boy, 12, charged with attempted murder3’Most unwanted’ dog finds home after four years4Woman arrested as missing young siblings found5Simon Harris takes big step towards taoiseach role6Give Kate and family ‘time and space to heal’7Passenger reported overboard from cruise ship8The man in the iron lung: How Paul Alexander lived life to the full9Avanti to pay train drivers £600 a shift for overtime10Rosenberg: As Russia mourns, how will Putin react to concert attack?

[ad_1] The favourite to replace Leo Varadkar as taoiseach organised his first political meeting aged 16.

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• 13yearolds
• March 23, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaAfghanistan: Teen girls despair as Taliban school ban continuesPublished3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Boys – like these ones in Khost – returned to school this week, but teenage girls were kept at homeBy Aalia Farzan & Flora DruryBBC NewsTeenage girls have told the BBC they feel “mentally dead” as the Taliban’s ban on their education prevents them from returning to school once again.More than 900 days have now passed since girls over 12 were first banned.The Taliban have repeatedly promised they would be readmitted once a number of issues were resolved – including ensuring the curriculum was “Islamic”.But they have made little comment as a third new school year started without teenage girls in class this week.The BBC has asked the Taliban’s education minister for an explanation, but he has so far not responded. The Taliban’s chief spokesman told local TV there had been “some problems and shortcomings for different reasons” in getting the ban lifted.According to Unicef, the ban has now impacted some 1.4m Afghan girls – among them, former classmates Habiba, Mahtab and Tamana, who spoke to the BBC last year.The hope they described 12 months ago is still there, but seems to have dwindled.”In reality, when we think, we don’t live, we are just alive,” Mahtab, 16, says. “Think of us like a moving dead body in Afghanistan.”Tamana – who dreams of a PhD – agrees. “I mean, we are physically alive but mentally dead,” she says.Girls were first singled out and prevented from going to secondary school back in September 2021 – a month after the Taliban took control of the country.Acting Deputy Education Minister Abdul Hakim Hemat later told the BBC that girls would not be allowed to attend secondary school until a new education policy in line with Islamic and Afghan traditions was approved, which would be in time for the start of school in March 2022.Image source, AFPImage caption, Girls are allowed to attend school up until secondary under the TalibanTwo years later, Zainab – not her real name – is among the 330,000 girls Unicef estimates should have started secondary school this March. She had held onto hope that she and fellow girls in Grade Six would be able to continue, up to the point her headmaster entered the exam hall to explain they would not be able to return for the new term.Zainab had been top of her class. Now, she tells the BBC: “I feel like I have buried my dreams in a dark hole.”Zainab’s father has attempted to leave Afghanistan, but so far without success. Officially, Zainab’s only option is classes at government-controlled religious schools, or madrassas – something the family do not want.”It is not an alternative to school,” her father says. “They will only teach her religious subjects.”For now, she attends an English class being quietly run in her neighbourhood – one of many which have quietly emerged in defiance of the ban in the last few years. Girls have also been able to keep up their studies by following courses online, or watching programmes like BBC Dars – an education programme for Afghan children, including girls aged 11-16 barred from school, described as a “learning lifeline” by the United Nations last year.Where to find DarsBBC News Afghanistan TV and radio satellite channel BBC News Pashto and BBC News Dari Facebook and YouTube channels BBC Persian TV FM, short-wave and medium-wave radio But Zainab and girls like her are among the more fortunate ones. When families are struggling to get enough to eat – as many in Afghanistan are – accessing online education is simply not seen “as a priority for their daughters”, notes Samira Hamidi, Amnesty International’s regional campaigner.The future for many of Afghanistan’s girls is “bleak”, she warns – pointing to the fact young girls are continuing to be married off when they reach puberty, and are further endangered by the Taliban’s rollback of laws designed to protect women in abusive marriages.And it is not just 13-year-olds being prevented from accessing an education. The BBC has found the ban even being extended to younger girls if they appear to have gone through puberty.Naya, not her real name, is just 11 but is no longer attending school in her home province of Kandahar. Her father says the government has “abandoned” her because she looks older than she is.”She is larger than average, and that was the reason the government told us she couldn’t go to school. She must wear the veil (hijab) and stay at home.”He doesn’t hold out much hope for the rules changing under the current regime, but was keen to stress one point: the idea the people of Afghanistan backed the Taliban’s ban was an “absolute lie”. “It is absolutely an accusation on Afghans and Pashtuns that they don’t want daughter’s education, but the issue is vice-versa,” he said. “Specially in Kandahar and other Pashtun provinces (where Pashtun people live), a lot people are ready to send their daughters to schools and universities to get education.”Image source, AFPImage caption, Afghan boys at a celebration to mark the opening of the school year this weekThe ban on a secondary education is far from the only change these girls are facing, however. In December 2022, women were told they could no longer attend university. Then there were the rules restricting how far a woman could travel without a male relative, on how they dressed, what jobs they could do, and even a ban on visiting their local parks.There are hopes, says Amnesty’s Samira Hamidi, that the secret schools and online education “can be expanded”. But, she added: “In a country with over one million girls facing a ban on their fundamental human rights to education, these efforts are not enough.”What it needs, she argues, is “for immediate and measurable actions by the international community to pressurise the Taliban”, as well as wider international support for education across the country.But until that happens, girls like Habiba, Mahtab and Tamana will remain at home.”It’s very difficult,” says Habiba, 18. “We feel ourselves in a real dungeon.”But she says she still has hope. Her friend Tamana is not so sure.”Honestly, I don’t know whether the schools will reopen or not under this government which doesn’t have a bit of thought or understanding for girls,” the 16-year-old says. “They count the girls as nothing.”Additional reporting by Mariam Aman and Georgina Pearce Related TopicsAfghanistanWomen’s rights in AfghanistanTalibanFemale educationMore on this storyBBC show is a ‘lifeline’ for Afghan girls, UN saysPublished14 October 2023Taliban stop girls leaving Afghanistan for scholarshipsPublished28 August 2023Afghan women escape for a chance at educationPublished16 August 2023Key moments in the crushing of Afghan women’s rightsPublished15 August 2023BBC helps Afghan children banned from schoolPublished1 April 2023’When I see the boys going to school, it hurts’Published27 March 2023Hopes fade as Afghan universities reopen without womenPublished7 March 2023Taliban ban women from Afghan universitiesPublished21 December 2022Girls’ despair as Taliban confirm Afghan school banPublished8 December 2021Top StoriesLive. At least 60 killed in Moscow concert hall attack, Russia saysMoscow concert hall attack videos examined. VideoMoscow concert hall attack videos examinedPublished3 hours agoPrincess of Wales: I am having cancer treatmentPublished2 hours agoFeaturesGrumpy gran aged 75 is global Fortnite sensationTrump poised for billions as stock market deal passesInside the ice cream van feeding familiesFleeing Ukraine’s embattled border villagesSolar eclipse spectacle set to grip North America againUFC star squares his Muslim faith with a career in the octagonWeekly quiz: How long did this woman take to climb nearly 300 mountains?The Princess of Wales Reveals Cancer Diagnosis. AudioThe Princess of Wales Reveals Cancer DiagnosisAttributionSoundsApple becomes the latest tech giant under siegeElsewhere on the BBCThe ultimate bromanceWatch the masters of satire Peter Cook and Dudley Moore with a look back through the archivesAttributioniPlayerHow did Emma of Normandy shape early medieval England?Greg Jenner and his guests step back in time to find out…AttributionSoundsAmbition, money and deceptionThe scandalous true story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, starring Amanda SeyfriedAttributioniPlayerThe last eruptionMount Vesuvius is famous for destroying Pompeii in 79AD but it last erupted in 1944AttributionSoundsMost Read1Kate cancer diagnosis rewrites story of past weeks2Princess of Wales undergoing cancer treatment3Chancellor says £100,000 not a huge salary in Surrey4Trump poised for billions as stock market deal passes5Lost elderly couple drive around city for 10 hours6What we know about Kate’s cancer diagnosis7Mordaunt rubbishes talk of challenging Sunak8Harry and Meghan wish ‘health and healing’ for Kate9Stranger Things actor to officiate co-star’s wedding10Kate’s ‘cancer shock’ and princess ‘getting stronger’

[ad_1] The ban on a secondary education is far from the only change these girls are facing, however. In December 2022, women were told they could no longer attend university.…

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• 16yearold
• 18yearold
• March 18, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaGaza faces famine during Ramadan, the holy month of fastingPublished33 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, Majdi Fathi/BBCImage caption, Khaled Naji and family share a meal in the ruins of his home in Gaza. “There is no joy in this Ramadan,” he said.By Joel GunterBBC News, JerusalemWhen dawn broke last Monday morning, signalling the beginning of Ramadan, it brought a cruel irony for the people of Gaza.The holy month when Muslims fast during daylight had arrived amid a looming famine.Gazans had already endured five months of war. Virtually the entire population was already dependent on food aid to survive. “The people here have already been fasting for months,” said Dr Amjad Eleiwa, the deputy director of the emergency department at al-Shifa hospital, Gaza City. “They scour the city looking for food to survive, but they cannot find any.”Image source, ReutersImage caption, Palestinian children queue for food at an aid station in GazaIsrael’s bombardment of Gaza, in response to the Hamas attacks of 7 October, has destroyed food infrastructure and farmland across the territory. Aid agencies say enhanced Israeli security checks on delivery trucks have created bottlenecks around aid reaching the population.The global body responsible for declaring famine, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), reported this Monday that 1.1 million people – virtually half the population of Gaza – was already starving and the rest of the people there could be in a famine by July.The food crisis is most acute in northern Gaza. Unlike previous Ramadans, residents there cannot rely this year on lining their stomachs with suhoor, the pre-dawn breakfast, nor look forward to assuaging their hunger with iftar, the post-sunset meal. Street decorations, drummers and stalls loaded with treats have been replaced by destruction, death and a daily fight to find food. Prices for what little flour or wheat is available have risen five-fold.”I remember the last Ramadan, there was good food – juices, dates, milk, everything you could want,” said Nadia Abu Nahel, a 57-year-old mother caring for an extended family of 10 children in Gaza City.”Compared to this year, it is like heaven and hell,” she said. “The children now are craving a loaf of bread, it is a meal they dream of. Their bones are becoming softer. They are dizzy, they struggle to walk. They are becoming very thin.”Image source, Mohammed Shahin/BBCImage caption, Rafeeq Dughmoush, 16, lies in a hospital bed in Gaza City. “I am emaciated,” he said.According to the poverty charity Care, at least 27 people – 23 of them children – have died from malnutrition or dehydration in northern Gaza in recent weeks. The real number, according to doctors from several northern hospitals, is likely to be higher.Among those treated for malnutrition by Dr Eleiwa at al-Shifa hospital recently was a boy aged between 10 and 12 who died last week during Ramadan; a boy aged around four months whose mother was killed, leaving him short of milk when none was available to buy; and an 18-year-old girl who was already suffering from epilepsy. “She was already sick and none of her medicine was available any longer and her family had no food,” Dr Eleiwa said. “In the end her body was very meagre, just bones and skin and no fat.”Under his care at al-Shifa on Friday, 16-year-old Rafeeq Dughmoush was lying on his side, bedbound. Rafeeq’s bones were showing and one of his legs had been amputated from the knee down. A colostomy bag was attached to his torso.”I am emaciated,” he said, speaking slowly in order to draw breath between words. “I am so weak I cannot move my body from one side to another. My uncle has to move me.”Image source, Mohammed Shahin/BBCImage caption, Rafeeq Dughmoush is assisted by his uncle Mahmoud. He lost one leg below the knee in a strike on his family home.Rafeeq and his sister Rafeef, 15, were severely injured when an Israeli air strike hit their home, killing 11 members of the family, their uncle Mahmoud said. Among the dead were their mother, four other siblings and their nieces and nephews. Rafeeq was already suffering from malnutrition, he said, before the strike that wounded him. “We could not find any kind of fruit to eat, no apple, no guava, there was no meat and any food at the markets was all too expensive,” he said.Rafeef, whose leg was shattered by the strike and pinned together, said she had asked the hospital staff for any kind of fruit or vegetable for him to eat, “but they cannot provide any”.Ramadan used to be a time of pure joy, Rafeef said, “heaven compared to now”.”It really was beautiful,” she said. “But these times will not come back. The best people in our lives have disappeared.”Image source, Mohammed Shahin/BBCImage caption, Rafeef Dughmoush, whose leg was shattered by an air strike that killed 11 members of her family.The doctors at al-Shifa have transferred many child malnutrition patients further north to Kamal Adwan hospital, because it has better paediatric facilities, but children have died there in high numbers too.Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the head of paediatrics at Kamal Adwan, said that 21 children had died at the hospital from malnutrition or dehydration in the past four weeks, and there were currently 10 children in an acute condition.”I feel helpless to save these children and it is a hard and shameful feeling,” Dr Safiya said. “I have the same feeling for my staff, who cannot find enough food for themselves and some days do not eat.”Israel was waging a “war by starvation,” he said. “Intentionally depriving children of food, killing them with hunger – there is no law in the world that allows occupiers to do this.”The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has also accused Israel of intentionally starving Gazans. “In Gaza we are no longer on the brink of famine, we are in a state of famine,” he said on Monday. “This is unacceptable. Starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israel is provoking famine.”Image source, ReutersImage caption, A Palestinian boy suffering from acute malnutrition is treated in Rafah, Gaza.Israel denies it is intentionally starving Gazans. It has blamed the UN, which it says has created logistical challenges around aid deliveries, as well as Hamas, which Israel says has commandeered aid. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, denied last week that Gazans were starving. “That’s not the information we have, and we monitor it closely,” he told the media outlet Politico.But Gazans are starving. “The facts speak for themselves,” said Abeer Etefa, the World Food Programme’s senior spokesperson for the Middle East. “1.1 million under the IPC phase 5 – that’s catastrophic hunger. And more than a third of children under two are acutely malnourished. That means they are at risk of death.”On Friday, 200 tonnes of food aid provided by the charity World Central Kitchen arrived by barge at a newly built jetty off the coast of Gaza, constructed by the charity from the rubble of destroyed buildings. It is hoped that it will alleviate the severe shortages in north and central Gaza, and bring some relief during the remainder of Ramadan.But the charitable aid operation has led to accusations against Israel that it has abandoned its humanitarian responsibilities to the civilian population, leaving it up to charities and other nations to step in to fill the void. “As an occupying power, the state of Israel is obliged to cater to the needs of the population, or to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid,” said Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, UNRWA. “And they are not doing that. Not sufficiently.”Image source, Majdi Fathi/BBCImage caption, Khaled Naji cooks over a fire in the ruins of his home in Deir al-Balah, Gaza.On Friday, as the World Central Kitchen barge neared the Gaza shoreline, Khaled Naji, a father of six, was helping his wife prepare dinner in the ruins of their home in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. “We need this aid,” Mr Naji said. “They talk about humanitarian aid but we get nothing.”Like many in Gaza, Mr Naji and his family were attempting to observe Ramadan. “We are fasting for God but this year we cannot enjoy it,” he said. “Not the suhoor, not the moment we break our fast, not the rituals we usually follow. We are not dressing our children and taking them to prayers. We are not teaching them about our faith. You just feed your child something small and you are afraid all the time a shell will fall on your head.”When sunset arrived, Mr Naji laid a blanket on a concrete slab and sat with his family amid the rubble. They had scrounged a small amount of fresh food for the evening meal. On some previous days, there had been none.”The situation for us now, in the Gaza Strip, it makes me envy the dead,” Mr Naji said. “We are not in Ramadan this year, we should change the name. We are in the month of death.”Muath al-Khatib contributed to this report.Related TopicsIsrael-Gaza warGazaMore on this storyAid reaches shore in Gaza after first sea deliveryPublished2 days agoTop StoriesLive. Putin addresses Red Square crowds after claiming landslide election winTrump unable to get $464m bond in New York fraud casePublished1 hour agoGaza faces famine during Ramadan, the holy month of fastingPublished33 minutes agoFeaturesNo choice for Ukrainians: More Putin means more warThe councils fighting to stop themselves going bustChris Mason analysis: Rwanda saga won’t be over even when law is passedWhat is a heat pump and how much do they cost?High-seas drama over an ocean treasure troveThe WhatsApp group that saved trafficked womenOne Great Britain rower’s neurodiversity journeyAttributionSportHow do I choose an apprenticeship, and is the pay good?Putin claims victory – what next for Russia? AudioPutin claims victory – what next for Russia?AttributionSoundsElsewhere on the BBCThe true story of the Army’s ‘golden egg’ agentThe Big Cases investigates the true story of a spy in suburbiaAttributioniPlayerA satirical look at the scheming world of PRCharles Prentiss and Martin McCabe embark on a new career as spin doctorsAttributionSoundsThe ultimate bromanceWatch the masters of satire Peter Cook and Dudley Moore with a look back through the archivesAttributioniPlayer’I will lie on my deathbed wishing I’d done more’Former spin doctor Alastair Campbell on what he’s learned from his life so farAttributionSoundsMost Read1Trump unable to get $464m bond in New York fraud case2Tragedy chanting arrests after FA Cup clash3Mood among Tory MPs darkens as PM faces questions4Banksy confirms London tree mural is his own work5’I sat inches away from US plane’s mid-air blowout’6Tata shutting down ovens over stability concerns7Family of man killed by own car ‘heartbroken’8Boys bailed over alleged hate crime on black pupil9High-seas drama over an ocean treasure trove10Student who shared bomb guide detained

[ad_1] More than a million people in Gaza are already starving, says the global body responsible for declaring famine.

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• 16yearold
• March 14, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaNex Benedict: Oklahoma teenager died by suicide, autopsy saysPublished3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Benedict family/GoFundMeBy Mike WendlingBBC NewsA 16-year-old from Oklahoma whose death in February was the subject of attention across the US died by suicide, a medical examiner has said.Nex Benedict was non-binary and used they/them pronouns. Their death one day after a fight in a school toilet prompted protests and vigils across the country. The cause of death was revealed in a partial autopsy report released on Wednesday by Oklahoma’s chief medical examiner.The medical examiner said Nex had died from taking a combination of medications.The day before Nex died, the student was involved in a brief fight in a toilet at Owasso high school, authorities say. The fight was broken up by other students and a school staff member. The school did not call an ambulance, but its nurse recommended that Nex undergo further medical checks “out of an abundance of caution”.In bodycam footage released by police of an interview at the hospital that day, Nex said that they and their group had been picked on before the fight “because of the way that we dress”. Nex returned home and on 8 February, their mother called emergency services, saying their breathing was shallow and their eyes were rolling back. The teenager later died in hospital. As the case began to receive national scrutiny, police released a statement saying only that preliminary autopsy information showed the teenager had not died “as a result of trauma”.On Wednesday, police said they had suspected suicide throughout the course of their investigation but had waited for the autopsy report to make a definitive statement. A complete autopsy will be released in 10 days. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said his “heart is broken” over Nex’s death.”The Medical Examiner’s finding of suicide makes me even more concerned that bullying played a role in this terrible loss,” he wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. What we know about death of Nex BenedictIn the wake of the incident, the school district did not confirm whether Nex had been bullied for their gender identity. The superintendent of Owasso Public Schools called Nex’s death “devastating”. “As we mourn together, OPS remains focused on the safety and well-being of our students and staff,” said Margaret Coates.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Vigils for Nex Benedict were held in cities across the USCampaigners have criticised laws in Oklahoma that ban students from using school toilets and changing rooms that do not align with their sex at birth and have raised concerns about LGBT people being targeted. One advocacy group, Freedom Oklahoma, said at the time that members of the LGBT community had experienced increased hostility “fuelled by state law and the rhetoric around it”.After news of Nex’s death spread, vigils honouring them were held in more than a dozen US cities. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.From Canada or US: If you’re in an emergency, please call 911You can contact the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or the Crisis Test Line by texting HOME to 741741. Help is also available in the US and Canada by dialing 988Related TopicsLGBTUnited StatesOklahomaMore on this storyThe trans teen who sued his school – and wonPublished23 August 2020Threats to transgender pupil shut schoolPublished15 August 2018Top StoriesGovernment unveils new extremism definitionPublished1 hour agoSteve Rosenberg on Russia’s stage-managed electionPublished3 hours agoHow a head teacher saved his pupils from a knifemanPublished5 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Donor row intensifies and new extremism definitionReturn hostages at any cost, says Israeli freed from GazaNigerian woman speaks of slavery and rape in UKThe story of I Will Always Love You, 50 years on’Journalists are feeding the AI hype machine’Politicians flounder as they wrestle with race rowsOlympics culture row as far right rages at French singerIsraeli forces shoot dead 12-year-old who set off fireworkThe hidden village just metres from North KoreaElsewhere on the BBCWhat hope is there for Haiti?Gang violence has turned the small Caribbean nation into a “living nightmare”AttributionSoundsDo you really know when historic events happened?Take the mind-boggling time quiz and find outAttributionBitesizeMeet some adorable hamsters from Wales…This family loves Casualty, News, Sport and the odd murder show!AttributioniPlayerNavigating fatherhood, anxiety and the culture warsComedian and fellow podcast star Adam Buxton joins Jon for a special bonus episodeAttributionSoundsMost Read1Government unveils new extremism definition2Donor row intensifies and new extremism definition3How a head teacher saved his pupils from a knifeman4Store closures rise but food chains help fill gap5Rosenberg: Russia’s stage-managed election6Children of Post Office scandal victims seek payout7The story of I Will Always Love You, 50 years on8US House passes bill that could ban TikTok nationwide9AI weapons scanner backtracks on UK testing claims10Nigerian woman speaks of slavery and rape in UK

[ad_1] The Oklahoma non-binary teenager died in February following an altercation with other students at school.

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• February 23, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaIndia Kerala: Protests rock Wayanad after elephant attack deathsPublished3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Arun ChandraboseImage caption, Kerala’s Wayanad district is known for its dense forest coverBy Ashraf PadannaReporter, Trivandrum, Kerala”I’m afraid the elephant that killed my father could come back to attack again,” says 13-year-old Alna Joseph.On 10 February, Ms Joseph was returning from morning prayers at her village church in Mananthavady town in the hilly Wayanad district of the southern Indian state of Kerala when she saw a vehicle carrying a bleeding man.When she reached home, she found out that it was the body of her father Ajeesh Joseph, a 42-year-old farmer, who had been trampled to death by a radio-collared wild elephant – the second such death in the district in three weeks.As soon as the local hospital confirmed his death, protests erupted in the town. They were withdrawn only after the authorities announced a 1m-rupee ($12,067, £9,525) compensation for Joseph’s family and a job for his widow.Neighbouring Karnataka state, to which the elephant belonged, also announced a compensation of 1.5m rupees.Six days later, another wild elephant killed Pakkam Vellachalil Paul, a 50-year-old employee of a state-owned eco-tourism project, while he was on duty in Pulpally town, about 24km (15 miles) away.Since then, Wayanad district – known for its dense forests – has witnessed massive protests as angry residents blame authorities for failing to protect them from wild animal attacks.”We often see elephants roaming around when we go out,” Ms Joseph says. “Most of them don’t attack us. But how do we distinguish them from the dangerous ones?”Last week, the funeral procession for Paul turned violent as protesters sat with his body – his last rites were performed only after the intervention of local politicians and religious leaders.Protesters also placed the carcass of a calf killed by a tiger in the town on a forest department vehicle and booed local representatives. Police accuse protesters of “assaulting forest department employees, damaging a vehicle and stopping policemen from carrying out their duties”.Opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, who represents the Wayanad constituency in parliament, rushed to the state on Sunday to meet the families of the animal attack victims.The state government held an all-party meeting and promised to cover medical expenses of those affected by such attacks, while the forest department said it had issued orders to tranquillise the elephant that attacked Joseph.Image source, Arun ChandraboseImage caption, Last week, protests against frequent animal attacks turned violentResidents say they want strong boundary walls, solar-powered fencing, elephant-proof trenches, early warning electronic systems, radio-collaring of all wild elephants and creation of wildlife corridors – all things that have been promised by the authorities in the past.There is also growing resentment that the state’s chief minister and forest minister have not visited the area since the attacks.Man-animal conflict is a major issue for Kerala, state Forest Minister AK Saseendran admits.Known for its lush green landscape, the state covers only 1.2% of India’s land area, but accounts for 2.3% of its forest cover.Wayanad has 11,531sq km (1.1m hectares) under forest cover, which is 29.6% of the state’s geographical area. Residents of the district say most of the electric fencing and trenches dug to protect them from animal intrusions are in ruins. Mr Saseendran says habitat loss and climate change and its impact on the ecosystem have contributed to rising human-animal conflicts here.”Most of the raids are by reclusive elderly elephants who are hurt while fighting with youngsters in a herd,” the minister adds.Authorities say they are installing 250 surveillance cameras to track animal intrusions in vulnerable areas of the district.”We need to protect the lives of both humans and animals and ensure a healthy coexistence,” Mr Saseendran told the BBC.The authorities also say a higher population density exerts more pressure on forest resources from dependent communities.But residents don’t entirely agree and blame government policies for shrinking natural habitats that are forcing animals into residential areas.Image source, Arun ChandraboseImage caption, Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi met Paul’s family after his death sparked protests in the districtN Badusha, a 71-year-old farmer and environmental activist who lives near the district’s Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, says the area lies at the junction of wildlife reserves of three states.”Traditional farmers like me and the tribespeople lived here harmoniously for years,” he says. But decades of bamboo extraction from areas that the elephants relied on for sustenance have destroyed their food source, he says, adding that the government’s push for monoculture plantations such as teak, sandalwood, mahogany, acacia and eucalyptus has also affected the movement of wild animals.”Today, around 36,000 of 96,000 hectares of Wayanad forests are monoculture plantations such as eucalyptus,” Mr Badusha says.”The pristine and precious green spaces, vast swamps and wetlands are depleting,” he explains, pushing wild animals, such as elephants onto farmlands and residential areas.Residents say the district’s burgeoning tourism industry, cattle grazing, invasive plants and forest fires are also destroying wildlife habitats in the region.They blame the authorities for failing to find a solution to the resultant animal attacks.In some of the recent cases, residents have also questioned the shoddy response by the authorities. They say that the elephant that attacked Joseph had a radio-collar. So, how come the authorities failed to track the animal and drive it back to the forest? Mr Saseendran told reporters there had been a delay in tracking the elephant due to signal disruption from the radio-collar.In the case of Paul’s death, his family also alleges that he failed to get medical treatment at the right time.”He was shivering in fear and pain,” his 16-year-old daughter Sona says. “Had he got timely medical assistance, he would have survived.”The state government said it would inquire into the allegation.Image source, Arun ChandraboseImage caption, Sharath, a 14-year-old tribal boy, got fractured ribs after a wild elephant attacked him last month in the same area where Paul was killed”People have lost faith in the system,” says V Mohammed Ali, who runs a tourist home in Wayanad.It’s not just wild elephants they are worried about but animals like wild boars, tigers, bison and monkeys that make off with their cattle and eat their crops.”Two months ago, a tiger killed a man and his half-eaten body was recovered later,” Mr Ali says. “People wanted to shoot the animal but were stopped by the authorities.”Forest officials have also not been able to locate the tiger that killed the cattle in Pulpally as its pugmarks were untraceable.”My only prayer is that no child is orphaned because of irresponsible authorities again,” Ms Sona says. “No other little one should ever have to cry like I did. We should be able to leave our homes without fear of an attack.”Read more India stories from the BBC:India state bans candy floss over cancer riskOne dead in India’s farming protests – officialRare turtle discovered in India by UK scientistsIndian official visit ‘death knell’ for island tribeThe spin maestro who defied odds to reach 500 wicketsRelated TopicsAsiaIndiaTop StoriesAmerican company makes historic Moon landingPublished2 hours agoEnergy bills expected to fall as new cap announcedPublished4 hours agoSpeaker’s decision on Gaza vote concerning – PMPublished7 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: ‘Two years of lunacy’ and possible ‘new Brexit deal’Britain’s biggest Bollywood star taking on HollywoodWhy are American XL bullies being banned?The ‘mind-bending’ bionic arm powered by AIWeekly quiz: What word did Emma Stone have trouble saying?Rosenberg: How two years of war have changed Russia‘I miss you’: Ukraine’s children orphaned by Russian missileSpeaker Hoyle on the Brink + Shapps on Ukraine. AudioSpeaker Hoyle on the Brink + Shapps on UkraineAttributionSoundsHow the row over Commons Speaker unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCHow Captain Sir Tom Moore captured the nation’s heartThe 100 year old man who became a global sensation and the controversy that followed…AttributionSoundsUnwrap the science of Egyptian mummies…Learn about the scientific techniques helping to uncover the lives of Ancient EgyptiansAttributionSoundsIconic roles, from the Doctor to Malcolm Tucker!Peter Capaldi reflects on his 40-year career and what he’s learned from his life so farAttributionSoundsAre grudges beneficial or detrimental?Two men find themselves entangled in a bitter grudge way beyond what they could imagineAttributionSoundsMost Read1Man charged with murder of missing Sydney couple2’Two years of lunacy’ and possible ‘new Brexit deal’3Right-wingers need a bigger bazooka, Truss tells US4Energy bills expected to fall as new cap announced5American company makes historic Moon landing6Mortgage lenders rapidly changing interest rates7Scouts referred to police after teen killed on hike8Constance Marten had £48k paid into her account9V&A museum to recruit Taylor Swift super fan10Speaker’s decision on Gaza vote concerning – PM

[ad_1] Recent deaths due to wild animal attacks have sparked massive protests in Kerala’s Wayanad district.

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• February 14, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIsrael orders evacuation of largest hospital in southern GazaPublished42 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, MO_ELHELO21Image caption, Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Helo posted a video showing civilians leaving Nasser hospitalBy David GrittenBBC NewsPalestinians say Israeli forces have ordered thousands of displaced people to evacuate the largest hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip.Videos showed an announcement via loudspeaker and a crowd leaving the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.Israel’s military said it had opened a secure route for civilians, but did not intend to evacuate patients and medics.Doctors and health officials say a number of people there have been killed by Israeli sniper fire in recent days.The reported deaths came as battles between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters raged in the vicinity of the hospital, which the UN says has been under siege for around a week and is only minimally functional.Intense hostilities have also been reported around the nearby Al-Amal hospital, which the Palestinian Red Crescent said was raided last week after some 8,000 displaced people and patients complied with an order to evacuate. The Israeli military has previously accused Hamas fighters of operating from inside and around the two hospitals – a claim that the armed group and medical officials have denied.Khan Younis has been the focus of Israel’s invasion of the south of Gaza, which began in early December after troops largely took control of Hamas strongholds in the north.The Israeli military launched a large-scale air and ground campaign after Hamas gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on 7 October and took 253 other people hostage.Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 28,500 people have been killed in the territory since then, including at least 103 in the past 24 hours.On Wednesday morning, Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Helo posted on Instagram what he said was footage showing a drone hovering over Nasser hospital as a soldier using a loudspeaker says in Arabic: “Go now out of the hospital, go now to the municipality.” About an hour later, he posted another video showing dozens of people walking through a courtyard and then turning towards al-Bahr Street, which connects western Khan Younis with the Mediterranean coast. Later, Gaza’s health ministry put out a brief statement accusing Israeli troops of “forcibly evacuating” thousands of displaced people, medical staff and patients from Nasser hospital. Médecins Sans Frontières reported that displaced people had been ordered to leave and that medical staff and patients had been told that they could remain in the hospital with a limit of one caretaker per patient. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had “opened a secure route to evacuate the civilian population taking shelter in the area of the Nasser hospital toward the humanitarian zone” – a reference to a thin strip of mainly agricultural land along the Mediterranean coast in an area known as al-Mawasi.”The evacuation of the civilian population is being conducted in a controlled and precise manner by IDF troops in order to prevent terrorists exploiting the evacuation,” it added.”We emphasize that the IDF does not intend to evacuate patients and medical staff, the troops involved have been thoroughly instructed in advance to prioritize the safety of civilians, patients, medical workers, and medical facilities during the operation.”The IDF also alleged that Hamas – which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK and other countries – “cynically embeds itself within hospitals and civilian infrastructure”.Before the evacuation began, a doctor at Nasser hospital said in an audio message that Israeli tanks and snipers had surrounded the facility.Dr Khaled Alserr, a trauma surgeon, also said that he had treated a 16-year-old boy who was shot as he tried to leave the hospital. “[When] he reached the gate of the hospital he was shot by four bullets by an Israeli sniper,” he added.The Gaza health ministry also said Israeli sniper fire killed three people and injured two others at the hospital on Tuesday. Another seven people were reportedly shot dead in the courtyard on Monday.There was no immediate response to the allegations from the IDF, although it insists that its forces do not intentionally target civilians.A doctor at Nasser hospital’s emergency department, Haitham Ahmed, told BBC Arabic on Tuesday night that Israeli tanks had destroyed the northern wall during heavy bombardment and violent clashes in the surrounding area.”Part of the stock of medical supplies… was burned as a result of the morning clashes,” he said. “Since [Monday], with the hospital’s infrastructure being affected, sewage has unfortunately begun to flow into the departments located on the ground floors of the hospital, and there is a fear that it will reach the emergency and radiology departments.”This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, BBC News Arabic followed paramedics in northern Gaza during the first month of the conflict.The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he was alarmed by what was reportedly happening.”Nasser is the backbone of the health system in southern Gaza. It must be protected,” he warned. “Humanitarian access must be allowed.””Hospitals must be safeguarded so that they can serve their life-saving function. They must not be militarized or attacked.”Only 11 of Gaza’s 33 hospitals are currently partially functioning, according to the UN. As well as being overwhelmed by huge numbers of casualties, the hospitals are serving as shelters for thousands among the 1.7 million people who have fled their homes as a result of the fighting. The majority of those displaced are now living in Rafah, south of Khan Younis, where there is mounting concern about the lack of food, water and sanitation.On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to carry out a “powerful” operation in Rafah after civilians were evacuated. He reiterated that Israel would fight on until “total victory”. Meanwhile, the UN’s humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, told the BBC that there was only 24 hours’ worth of food left in the city. He also warned that it be impossible to run any effective humanitarian operations or protect civilians if Israel sent ground forces into Rafah.”I understand why the Israelis want to move in on Rafah. I understand their desire to recover those hostages, those poor people,” he said. “What I want to say to you, before it starts is, if there is an assault you cannot, you must not, you should not, rely on the fantasy of a humanitarian operation being able to save people in the middle of such carnage.”In a separate development, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – who is based in the occupied West Bank – urged Hamas to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza quickly to avoid “another catastrophic event”. Negotiations are underway in Cairo aimed at securing a new temporary ceasefire deal, including the release of more Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.Related TopicsIsrael & the PalestiniansIsrael-Gaza warIsraelPalestinian territoriesHamasMore on this storyUN warns of ‘slaughter’ if Israel launches Rafah assaultPublished14 hours agoImages from space show how crowded Rafah isPublished1 day agoIsrael rescues two hostages in Rafah amid deadly strikesPublished2 days agoPalestinians sheltering in Rafah fear Israeli offensivePublished1 day agoTop StoriesUkraine claims sinking of Russian ship off CrimeaPublished3 hours agoIsrael launches ‘extensive’ strikes in LebanonPublished1 hour agoBank boss says 4% inflation won’t spark rate cutsPublished2 hours agoFeaturesMoment Russian ship struck by Ukrainian drones. VideoMoment Russian ship struck by Ukrainian dronesTired and alone – families of disabled people tell of fight to secure NHS careFull cemeteries and empty homes: Ukrainians struggle two years after invasionTough week tests Starmer’s leadershipSteve Wright tributes and Labour suspends another candidate. AudioSteve Wright tributes and Labour suspends another candidateAttributionSoundsAI could ‘supercharge’ election disinformation, US tells the BBC’Like a friend’ – listeners’ tributes to Steve WrightTorvill, Dean and the death of romanceAttributionSportResignations of leading women give Hungary’s Orban his biggest crisisElsewhere on the BBCExperience Apollo 11’s adventure first-hand!Discover the awe-inspiring journey of Apollo 11 and its crew with newly released cockpit audioAttributioniPlayerWhat holds us back from exercising as we age?James Gallagher explores the mental and physical barriers that may stop usAttributionSoundsOne of the most densely populated places on earthUncover the hidden systems and armies of people running Hong KongAttributioniPlayerThe surprising health benefits of sleeping moreCould going to sleep one hour earlier dramatically improve your mood and health?AttributionSoundsMost Read1Man poisoned couple and rewrote will – court told2Family members jailed after abusing son’s wife3Children of US mum arrested in London were shot4Ukraine claims sinking of Russian ship off Crimea5Gems stolen from British Museum seen for first time6Critics savage Spider-Man spin-off Madame Web7Marten and Gordon jury shown how police found baby8Brand denies claim of sexual assault on film set9’Meaty’ rice grown in lab for protein kick10Israel launches ‘extensive’ strikes in Lebanon

[ad_1] “Part of the stock of medical supplies… was burned as a result of the morning clashes,” he said. “Since [Monday], with the hospital’s infrastructure being affected, sewage has unfortunately…

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