![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaCape Town cattle highlight awful conditions on livestock shipsPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Millions of farm animals endure long ocean voyages every yearBy Wedaeli ChibelushiBBC NewsResidents of Cape Town woke up to a pungent, sewage-like smell engulfing their neighbourhoods on Monday morning.The source? A ship from Brazil carrying 19,000 cattle had anchored in the South African port city the night before, in order to reload on animal feed.After performing an assessment on board the Al Kuwait, staff from a leading animal welfare organisation, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA), said the cattle had been on board for two-and-a-half weeks and were living in a “build-up of faeces and ammonia [a gas released from urine]”.Conditions were “awful” and the stench was “unimaginable”, the NSPCA said in its statement.The ship has now left for Iraq but there will still be a funk in the air, campaign groups say. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Al Kuwait is heading to Iraq with 19,000 head of cattle on boardThe cattle are just a fraction of the millions of farm animals that endure lengthy journeys in order to be slaughtered and eaten in another country.Animal rights organisations have long complained that conditions on board these ships can be hazardous. They say that, in some cases, creatures have been trampled to death because of overcrowding, while dehydration, disease and hunger are also risks.Defenders of exporting livestock argue that the practice brings food security to importing nations and also financially benefits farming communities in countries that export.A handful of casualties have made headlines in recent years, like when more than 40 crew members and almost 6,000 cattle died after a ship sank of the Japanese coast, or when earlier this month a vessel carrying 16,000 sheep and cattle became stranded off the coast of Australia in extreme heat.Although disasters like these are horrific, “the really bad thing is just the day-to-day suffering” of exported livestock, Peter Stevenson from global animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) told the BBC.The 19,000 cattle that docked in South Africa are part of a much larger herd of Brazilian exports – in 2022 the South American country sent 150,000 live cattle abroad, CIWF estimates. Last year, a Brazilian judge outlawed live cattle exports from the country, citing poor welfare practices, but the ban is yet to be imposed.Australia and the European Union (EU) are also major exporters of livestock, with the latter selling around 4.5 million live farm animals to foreign countries, according to the South African chapter of animal welfare charity Four Paws.In Africa, Somalia and Sudan export the most. Sudan’s authorities said the country exported more than 2.7 million cattle in 2023, despite a raging civil war, according to local media.But why do countries want to import live animals, rather than chilled or frozen meat?”There is a traditional belief in many countries… that fresh meat is in some way tastier, healthier than boxed, chilled or frozen meat,” Mr Stevenson said.Some of these nations would struggle to rear animals from birth as they experience arid conditions that have only worsened with global warming.Australia’s LiveCorp, an organisation serving Australia’s livestock exporters, and AgForce, which represents Queensland’s rural producers, argue that shipping animals contributes to food security in water-stressed regions such as the Middle East. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Campaigners have long protested against the export of livestock across the worldThey also say the export of livestock benefits the Australian economy and farming communities, which can sell their animals for a higher price abroad than they can domestically.Nonetheless, Australia committed to “phasing out” live sheep exports in 2023. It has not set a deadline, however. Its neighbour New Zealand enforced a ban the same year. In Europe, Luxembourg has outlawed the trade and the UK is on its way to doing the same – a bill passed through its lower chamber of parliament, the House of Commons, last month. On Wednesday it will be considered by the upper chamber, the House of Lords. Four Paws notes that as well as hosting a ship full of livestock in its Cape Town port, South Africa exports farm animals itself.”There is insufficient regulation in place and raising animals in the country simply to be transported to be killed in another means that South Africa bears the harmful impacts associated with animal agriculture while the importing country does not,” Fiona Miles, the charity’s South Africa director, said.Not only did the cattle docked in Cape Town cause a nasty stink, they also reminded the world of the risks animals face on the long journeys to our plates.”Animals are sentient beings and feel pain and stress just like we do,” Ms Miles said.You may also be interested in:Millions of donkeys killed each year to make medicineHow undercover sting outwitted pangolin traffickersRelated TopicsAnimal welfareSouth AfricaIraqAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastsTop StoriesTrident missile test fails for second time in a rowPublished12 minutes agoMartha’s rule to be introduced in some hospitals from AprilPublished1 hour ago’I was raped more than 100 times by grooming gang’Published3 hours agoFeaturesThe strangers who saved each other’s livesThe Papers: Prince’s call for peace and Labour revolt threatThe secret to my Mr Universe title? Potatoes and porridgeBeef trade risks key Brazil ecosystem – campaignersWindsor was ‘a brilliant dancer and a lovely man’The Ethiopian schoolchildren surviving on wild berries. VideoThe Ethiopian schoolchildren surviving on wild berriesHow the stench from a ship has drawn attention to cattle welfareNavalny’s widow faces daunting challengePrince William speaks out on Israel-Gaza conflict. AudioPrince William speaks out on Israel-Gaza conflictAttributionSoundsElsewhere on the BBCFacing impossible choices, what would you do?An ordinary family take on the extraordinary battle of life, death and survivalAttributioniPlayerIs nature better off without us?Discover the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderfulAttributionSounds’I regret posting online that I was Madeleine McCann’Marianna Spring investigates extraordinary cases of online hateAttributionSoundsSix places you might not know were named after peopleDiscover the human stories behind the names of these famous tourist destinationsAttributionBitesizeMost Read1Trident missile test fails for second time in a row2’I was raped more than 100 times by grooming gang’3Hospitals to introduce Martha’s rule from April4Jordan North to replace Roman Kemp as Capital host5Government finances show big surplus in January6Handwritten Hotel California lyrics at heart of trial7Prince’s call for peace and Labour revolt threat8Families’ shock as cost to take pets abroad hiked9The secret to my Mr Universe title? Potatoes and porridge10China says US veto sent wrong message over Gaza](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/469F/production/_132697081_gettyimages-2017181910_976.jpg)
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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 & CanadaCape Town cattle highlight awful conditions on livestock shipsPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Millions of farm animals endure long ocean voyages every yearBy Wedaeli ChibelushiBBC NewsResidents of Cape Town woke up to a pungent, sewage-like smell engulfing their neighbourhoods on Monday morning.The source? A ship from Brazil carrying 19,000 cattle had anchored in the South African port city the night before, in order to reload on animal feed.After performing an assessment on board the Al Kuwait, staff from a leading animal welfare organisation, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA), said the cattle had been on board for two-and-a-half weeks and were living in a “build-up of faeces and ammonia [a gas released from urine]”.Conditions were “awful” and the stench was “unimaginable”, the NSPCA said in its statement.The ship has now left for Iraq but there will still be a funk in the air, campaign groups say. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Al Kuwait is heading to Iraq with 19,000 head of cattle on boardThe cattle are just a fraction of the millions of farm animals that endure lengthy journeys in order to be slaughtered and eaten in another country.Animal rights organisations have long complained that conditions on board these ships can be hazardous. They say that, in some cases, creatures have been trampled to death because of overcrowding, while dehydration, disease and hunger are also risks.Defenders of exporting livestock argue that the practice brings food security to importing nations and also financially benefits farming communities in countries that export.A handful of casualties have made headlines in recent years, like when more than 40 crew members and almost 6,000 cattle died after a ship sank of the Japanese coast, or when earlier this month a vessel carrying 16,000 sheep and cattle became stranded off the coast of Australia in extreme heat.Although disasters like these are horrific, “the really bad thing is just the day-to-day suffering” of exported livestock, Peter Stevenson from global animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) told the BBC.The 19,000 cattle that docked in South Africa are part of a much larger herd of Brazilian exports – in 2022 the South American country sent 150,000 live cattle abroad, CIWF estimates. Last year, a Brazilian judge outlawed live cattle exports from the country, citing poor welfare practices, but the ban is yet to be imposed.Australia and the European Union (EU) are also major exporters of livestock, with the latter selling around 4.5 million live farm animals to foreign countries, according to the South African chapter of animal welfare charity Four Paws.In Africa, Somalia and Sudan export the most. Sudan’s authorities said the country exported more than 2.7 million cattle in 2023, despite a raging civil war, according to local media.But why do countries want to import live animals, rather than chilled or frozen meat?”There is a traditional belief in many countries… that fresh meat is in some way tastier, healthier than boxed, chilled or frozen meat,” Mr Stevenson said.Some of these nations would struggle to rear animals from birth as they experience arid conditions that have only worsened with global warming.Australia’s LiveCorp, an organisation serving Australia’s livestock exporters, and AgForce, which represents Queensland’s rural producers, argue that shipping animals contributes to food security in water-stressed regions such as the Middle East. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Campaigners have long protested against the export of livestock across the worldThey also say the export of livestock benefits the Australian economy and farming communities, which can sell their animals for a higher price abroad than they can domestically.Nonetheless, Australia committed to “phasing out” live sheep exports in 2023. It has not set a deadline, however. Its neighbour New Zealand enforced a ban the same year. In Europe, Luxembourg has outlawed the trade and the UK is on its way to doing the same – a bill passed through its lower chamber of parliament, the House of Commons, last month. On Wednesday it will be considered by the upper chamber, the House of Lords. Four Paws notes that as well as hosting a ship full of livestock in its Cape Town port, South Africa exports farm animals itself.”There is insufficient regulation in place and raising animals in the country simply to be transported to be killed in another means that South Africa bears the harmful impacts associated with animal agriculture while the importing country does not,” Fiona Miles, the charity’s South Africa director, said.Not only did the cattle docked in Cape Town cause a nasty stink, they also reminded the world of the risks animals face on the long journeys to our plates.”Animals are sentient beings and feel pain and stress just like we do,” Ms Miles said.You may also be interested in:Millions of donkeys killed each year to make medicineHow undercover sting outwitted pangolin traffickersRelated TopicsAnimal welfareSouth AfricaIraqAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastsTop StoriesTrident missile test fails for second time in a rowPublished12 minutes agoMartha’s rule to be introduced in some hospitals from AprilPublished1 hour ago’I was raped more than 100 times by grooming gang’Published3 hours agoFeaturesThe strangers who saved each other’s livesThe Papers: Prince’s call for peace and Labour revolt threatThe secret to my Mr Universe title? Potatoes and porridgeBeef trade risks key Brazil ecosystem – campaignersWindsor was ‘a brilliant dancer and a lovely man’The Ethiopian schoolchildren surviving on wild berries. VideoThe Ethiopian schoolchildren surviving on wild berriesHow the stench from a ship has drawn attention to cattle welfareNavalny’s widow faces daunting challengePrince William speaks out on Israel-Gaza conflict. AudioPrince William speaks out on Israel-Gaza conflictAttributionSoundsElsewhere on the BBCFacing impossible choices, what would you do?An ordinary family take on the extraordinary battle of life, death and survivalAttributioniPlayerIs nature better off without us?Discover the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderfulAttributionSounds’I regret posting online that I was Madeleine McCann’Marianna Spring investigates extraordinary cases of online hateAttributionSoundsSix places you might not know were named after peopleDiscover the human stories behind the names of these famous tourist destinationsAttributionBitesizeMost Read1Trident missile test fails for second time in a row2’I was raped more than 100 times by grooming gang’3Hospitals to introduce Martha’s rule from April4Jordan North to replace Roman Kemp as Capital host5Government finances show big surplus in January6Handwritten Hotel California lyrics at heart of trial7Prince’s call for peace and Labour revolt threat8Families’ shock as cost to take pets abroad hiked9The secret to my Mr Universe title? Potatoes and porridge10China says US veto sent wrong message over Gaza
[ad_1] The stench from a vessel loaded with cattle which engulfed Cape Town has drawn attention to a wider issue.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityScience & Environment’Brutal’ donkey skin trade banned by the African UnionPublished55 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, The Donkey SanctuaryImage caption, Campaigners against the skin trade say it is inhumane and unsustainableBy Victoria GillScience correspondent, BBC NewsAnimal welfare charities have welcomed an Africa-wide ban on the controversial donkey skin trade. It will make it illegal to slaughter donkeys for their skin in 55 countries across the continent. Demand for the animals’ skins is fuelled by the popularity of an ancient Chinese medicine called Ejiao, traditionally made from donkey hides. African state leaders approved the ban at the conclusion of the African Union summit in Ethiopia on Sunday. The charity, the Donkey Sanctuary, called the the trade “brutal and unsustainable” and said it had decimated donkey populations around the world, particularly in Africa and South America. Millions of donkeys killed each year to make medicineHow donkeys changed the course of human historyEjiao is believed by some to have anti-ageing and health benefits, although this is unproven. Chinese companies that make it used to use skins from donkeys sourced in China. But when the numbers of the animals in the country plummeted, they looked overseas. “At first our governments saw this as an opportunity, and many legal slaughterhouses opened in Africa,” explained Dr Solomon Onyango from the Donkey Sanctuary in Kenya. “But, [here in Kenya], between 2016 and 2019, about half of our donkeys were killed for the trade,” he said. Image source, The Donkey SanctuaryImage caption, A donkey can mean the difference between a modest livelihood and destitution for many people in poor, rural communitiesDr Onyango told BBC News that the ban would “go a long way to safeguarding donkeys and the livelihoods of millions of people who rely on them”. About two-thirds of world’s estimated population of 53 million donkeys are in Africa. People in the poorest, rural communities use them for transport and to carry water, food and other goods. One recent study in Ethiopia – that set out to measure the economic value of donkeys – showed that owning one could mean the difference between destitution and a modest livelihood. Raphael Kinoti, who is regional director of the animal welfare charity The Brooke in East Africa said this was a “terrific moment for communities in Africa who have benefitted from donkeys since time immemorial”. “Donkey slaughter for its skin has eroded livelihoods in Africa, robbing the continent of its culture, biodiversity and identity,” he said.”We urge all AU members to uphold the decision for the good of all.”Image source, The Brooke Image caption, Some worry that, if the trade is not curbed, the next generation will not have access to a donkeyRelated TopicsWildlife tradeChinaAfricaMore on this storyMillions of donkeys killed each year to make medicinePublished3 days agoTop StoriesSpecial forces blocked elite Afghan troops from relocating to UKPublished4 hours agoBaby was among three children found dead Published11 minutes agoIsrael indicates deadline for offensive in RafahPublished9 hours agoFeaturesWatch Baftas 2024 best bits… in two minutes. VideoWatch Baftas 2024 best bits… in two minutesIn pictures: Stars on the Baftas red carpetThe Papers: ‘Schools phone ban’ and Kremlin ‘covering tracks”Hearing my children’s laughter is like torture’Matt Smith on a Doctor Who return… and Prince Harry. VideoMatt Smith on a Doctor Who return… and Prince HarryAfrica’s ‘flying presidents’ under fire for foreign trips‘Without painkillers, we leave patients to scream for hours’The Oscar-winning film that captured Navalny’s life and future deathWhat should you do if a dog attacks?Elsewhere on the BBC’You have to get it out of your system and say ‘cancer”Stephen Fry joins Amol and Nick to highlight the importance of talking about the diseaseAttributionSoundsWill this elite boarding school fit around them?Five black inner-city teens must leave their old worlds…AttributioniPlayer’I fell and tried to keep running’John recalls the time he got injured whilst racing against someone in fancy dressAttributionSoundsFrom chewing sticks to rice-based toilet paper…What did people do before everyday items were invented?AttributionBitesizeMost Read1Baby among three children found dead in house2Special forces stopped Afghan troops settling in UK3Right to roam countryside ‘closed off’ to walkers4Baftas 2024: A dog, tears and Murder on the Dancefloor5Michael J Fox brings audience to tears at Baftas6The NHS hidden waiting lists terrifying patients7Currys takeover battle looms as JD.com eyes bid8Search for two-year-old boy who fell into river9Schools given new guidance on stopping phone use10’Schools phone ban’ and Kremlin ‘covering tracks’](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/15976/production/_132683488_mediaitem132635328.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaGaza doctors: ‘We leave patients to scream for hours and hours’Published4 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, AFPImage caption, An injured man lies on a bed in the Gaza European hospital in late DecemberBy Alice CuddyBBC News, JerusalemDoctors across Gaza have described operating on patients without anaesthetic, turning people with chronic conditions away, and treating rotting wounds with limited medical supplies.”Because of the shortage of painkillers we leave patients to scream for hours and hours,” one told the BBC.The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the state of healthcare in Gaza as being “beyond words”.It said 23 hospitals in Gaza were not functioning at all as of Sunday – 12 were partially functioning and one minimally.The health agency said air strikes and a lack of supplies have “depleted an already under-resourced system”.WHO says Nasser hospital, raided by IDF, not functionalThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says Hamas “systematically uses hospitals and medical centres for its terror activities”.In a statement to the BBC, it said the IDF “did not ‘attack’ hospitals, but rather entered specific areas… [to] neutralise Hamas’ infrastructure and equipment, and apprehend Hamas terrorists, while acting with great caution”.It said it was allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, including medical supplies. Aid organisations, including the WHO, say there have been “repeated access restrictions and denials”.Warning: This article contains details some readers may find upsettingHospitals stretchedMany of Gaza’s hospitals are overcrowded and have limited equipment, healthcare workers say. There are reports that some hospitals in southern Gaza are operating at over 300% of their bed capacity.Four field hospitals have been set up in Gaza, with 305 beds combined, according to the WHO.On Sunday, it said the Nasser hospital in southern Gaza was the latest facility to become non-operational, following a raid by Israeli forces.The IDF said on Sunday night it had found weapons at the hospital, as well as medicines with the names and photos of hostages on them, and had apprehended “hundreds of terrorists” hiding there. “Hamas continues to put Gaza’s most vulnerable citizens in serious danger by cynically using hospitals for terror,” it earlier told the BBC.Why are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza?Israel-Gaza war: Death and Israel’s search for ‘total victory’Staff at nearby hospitals say the operation at Nasser has put extra strain on them.Yousef al-Akkad, director of the Gaza European Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, described the current situation there as the “worst we’ve faced since the beginning of the war”.”This situation was severe before, so what do you think it’s like after receiving thousands more who’ve been displaced and are now staying in the hallways and the public areas?”He said the hospital did not have enough beds for the patients needing treatment, so staff were laying sheets over metal frames and wood, and putting “a lot of patients on the floor with nothing at all”.Other doctors from across the Gaza Strip described similar situations. “Even if there is somebody with cardiac arrest or cardiac problems, we put them on the floor and start to work on them,” said Dr Marwan al-Hams, director of Rafah’s Martyr Mohammed Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital.A Hamas political committee appoints directors of public hospitals in Gaza. In some cases, these directors were in place before Hamas took control of the Strip.Image caption, Dr Marwan al-Hams says patients are being treated on the floorMedication and suppliesDoctors say they are struggling to work with limited medical supplies. “We cannot find a drop of oxygen,” one told the BBC.”We’re missing anaesthetics, supplies for the ICU, antibiotics and lastly painkillers,” said Dr al-Akkad. “There are a lot of people who were severely burnt… we don’t have any suitable painkillers for them.”One doctor confirmed that operations were going ahead without anaesthetic.A WHO team said they recently met a seven-year-old girl at the European Gaza hospital who was suffering from 75% burns, but unable to receive pain relief because of short supplies.Dr Mohamed Salha, acting director of northern Gaza’s Al-Awda hospital, said people had been transported for treatment there on donkeys and horses.”The catastrophe is when the patients’ wounds are rotting, as the wounds have been open for more than two or three weeks,” he said.He said doctors there had performed surgeries by the light of headtorches because of electricity shortages.Staff separated from familiesThe WHO says there are around 20,000 healthcare workers in Gaza, but that most are not working “as they are struggling to survive and care for their families”.Dr al-Akkad said the numbers of staff and volunteers at his hospital had grown, partly because of people displaced from other areas coming to help. But he said it was not enough to cope with the volume of patients and types of injuries they were receiving.Following bombings, he said injured people come to the hospital “looking like kofta” – a dish with ground meat.”The same person comes with brain injuries, broken ribs, broken limbs, and sometimes losing an eye… every injury you can imagine, you can see it in our hospital.”He said one patient could need five or more specialist doctors to deal with the range of injuries.Image source, ReutersImage caption, A wounded man is rushed to a hospital in RafahSome of the doctors who have continued working are separated from their families.”My family has been away from me for more than three months and I long to embrace them,” said Dr Salha in northern Gaza, whose family have sought safety in the south.”My consolation is that I am here serving children, women and the elderly in receiving health care and saving their lives.”No room for chronic patientsDoctors told the BBC that people in Gaza with chronic conditions had “paid a big price”.”Frankly we don’t have any beds for them or any potential to follow up with them,” said Dr al-Akkad.”For anybody who does dialysis four times a week, now he does it once a week. If this guy was doing 16 hours a week, it will be one hour now.”Some women are giving birth in tents with no medical support, while hospitals that provide midwifery services say they have limited capacity.”In one department a person dies and in the other department a new life is born. Children are born and there is no milk for them. The hospital provides one box of milk for every child,” Dr Salha said.People are coming to hospitals with diseases that have spread in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.”There are sicknesses and we can not find any cure,” said 54-year-old Abu Khalil, who has been displaced to Rafah in southern Gaza.”We need to go out from dawn and get in a queue and maybe you will find 100 people in front of you. You go back empty handed.”Additional reporting by Muath Al KhatibRelated TopicsMiddle EastIsrael & the PalestiniansIsrael-Gaza warIsraelHealthcareMore on this storyWhy are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza?Published5 days agoWHO says Gaza hospital raided by IDF not functionalPublished1 hour agoIsrael-Gaza war: Death and Israel’s search for ‘total victory’Published7 days agoTop StoriesMurder arrest after three young children found dead in BristolPublished1 hour agoWHO says Gaza hospital raided by IDF not functionalPublished1 hour ago‘Without painkillers, we leave patients to scream for hours’Published4 hours agoFeaturesWho won what at the Bafta Awards – the full list‘Without painkillers, we leave patients to scream for hours’The Oscar-winning film that captured Navalny’s life and future deathWhat should you do if a dog attacks?Conjoined twins given days to live are proving world wrongInfluential names among those rejected for new Overground linesUN: Asylum seekers report assault and self-harm on remote UK islandMatt Smith on a Doctor Who return… and Prince Harry. VideoMatt Smith on a Doctor Who return… and Prince HarryCase of US sailor stirs unease over Japan military tiesElsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a Dublin factory that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerHair-pulling, wrestling and kicking!Watch the moment a violent brawl unfolded in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayerA billionaire’s playground…What is it really like in the boom town of Mumbai?AttributioniPlayerCould this Italian dream turn into a real nightmare?Amanda Holden and Alan Carr don their boiler suits to renovate a dilapidated house in TuscanyAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Two boys charged over fatal stabbing of teenager2Murder arrest after three children found dead3Major search after reports child, 3, fell into river4Badenoch in row with former Post Office chairman5Harry Styles turns heads at Premier League match6What should you do if a dog attacks?7Steve Wright’s Love Songs airs ‘without the chief’8‘Without painkillers, we leave patients to scream for hours’9In pictures: Stars on the Baftas red carpet10Who won what at the Bafta Awards – the full list](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/98D8/production/_132682193_d97dc6767fc66fc1fd26fb680f1c2ea3dc2cb2d3.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaGaza’s Nasser hospital: Fears for patients as Israeli raid continuesPublished30 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, UGCImage caption, Footage verified by the BBC shows chaotic scenes at the hospitalBy Rushdi Abu Alouf in Istanbul & Kathryn Armstrong in LondonBBC NewsThe Israeli military says its special forces are still inside the Nasser hospital in Gaza as fears grow for patients at the site. Israel launched what it described as a “precise and limited mission” there on Thursday. The military says it has caught “dozens of terror suspects”. Hamas dismissed that claim as “lies”. The Hamas-run health ministry said five people died after generators failed.The World Health Organization (WHO) said the facility urgently needed fuel.It said the fuel was vital to “ensure the continuation of the provision of life-saving services”.Tarik Jasarevic, a WHO spokesperson, said there were now reports that the orthopaedic unit at the hospital, in the city of Khan Younis, had been damaged.”That obviously reduces the ability to provide the urgent medical care,” he said, adding there were still “critically injured and sick patients” at the hospital. “More degradation to the hospital means more lives being lost.” Nasser is the main hospital in southern Gaza, and is one of the few still functioning. It has been the scene of intense fighting between the IDF and Hamas for days.Why are Israel and Hamas fighting in GazaJeremy Bowen: Death and Israel’s search for “total victory”An injured man who had to leave the hospital said the conditions there were dire. “Since they besieged it, there is no water or food,” Raed Abed told the Associated Press.”Garbage is widespread, and sewage has flooded the emergency department.”The hospital’s director, Nahed Abu-Teima, told BBC Arabic the situation inside was “catastrophic and very dangerous”. The Hamas-run health ministry reported on Friday that the five people who died at the hospital did so after the electricity generators went down and oxygen could not be provided.The deaths have not been independently verified.On Wednesday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ordered thousands of displaced people who had been sheltering there to leave.Images, verified by the BBC, showed medical staff rushing patients on stretchers through a corridor filled with smoke or dust.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Patients rushed through smoke, bodies moved – what we can see in video from Nasser hospital raidThe IDF believes Hamas has been using hospitals and other civilian bases as shields for military activities.”We can’t give them [Hamas] a free pass, we have to make sure that they are pursued and hunted down,” IDF spokesperson Lt Col Peter Lerner told the BBC.He said the military had been making “a huge effort to evacuate people from the hospital in order to get them out of harm’s way”, denying claims that civilians had been targeted. The IDF said that among those it had captured at the hospital were 20 Hamas members who were part of the 7 October attacks on Israel. It also said it had found weapons, including grenades, at the facility. The military is also searching for the bodies of Israeli hostages which it said intelligence suggests might be hidden in the hospital. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said Israeli tanks were targeting the nearby Al-Amal hospital, “resulting in very severe damage in two nursing rooms”.They wrote on social media that nobody had been hurt. Intense hostilities have been reported around the hospital recently. The PRCS said it was raided last week after some 8,000 displaced people and patients complied with an order to evacuate.On Friday, they said that two doctors who were arrested during the raid had been released, while 12 other staff remained in custody. .flourish-container{position:relative;color:#404040;font-family:’Helmet’, ‘Freesans’, ‘Helvetica’, ‘Arial’, sans-serif;font-weight:400;line-height:1.4}.flourish-embed{position:relative}
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Israel launched its military offensive after waves of Hamas fighters burst through Israel’s border on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people – mainly civilians – and taking 253 others back to Gaza as hostages.The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 28,700 people, mainly women and children – have been killed in Israel’s campaign. Israel is facing increasing international pressure to show restraint but efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting have not yet yielded any results. A senior Palestinian official familiar with the ceasefire talks told the BBC that the gap between the negotiating parties was still wide and there were disagreements over many of the proposed provisions.Senior officials from the US, Israel, Egypt and Qatar have been meeting in Cairo this week to try and hammer out a deal.The official said that the main issue remains the disagreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over what happens the day after the war is over. The US want to rely on a strengthened Palestinian Authority, while Israel is against having a single administration in charge of the West Bank and Gaza. Another disagreement is over Israel’s aim of completely destroying Hamas, which the US thinks will be difficult to achieve anytime soon. The US is said to be trying to pressure the two sides to reach a long period of calm to make it difficult for the two sides to return to fighting again.Related TopicsMiddle EastIsrael-Gaza warIsraelHamasMore on this storyGaza hospital in ‘catastrophic’ state as Israeli troops raidPublished21 hours agoIsrael orders evacuation of south Gaza hospitalPublished1 day agoTop StoriesLive. Outrage and shock at report of Navalny’s sudden deathJob not done despite huge poll wins over Tories, says StarmerPublished2 hours agoChris Mason: Tory gloom deepens after double poll blowPublished4 hours agoFeaturesAlexei Navalny, Russia’s most vociferous Putin criticWatch Yulia Navalnaya speak following report of husband’s death. VideoWatch Yulia Navalnaya speak following report of husband’s deathWeekly quiz: Who could join Sinéad in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?John Curtice: By-elections leave Tories ‘with mountain to climb’ Two by-elections, two Labour wins… in two minutes. VideoTwo by-elections, two Labour wins… in two minutesLondon Fashion Week celebrates 40 years of posingZendaya channels cyborg chic at Dune premiere. VideoZendaya channels cyborg chic at Dune premiereMillions of donkeys killed each year to make medicineXbox games on Nintendo and PlayStation: Is the console war over?Elsewhere on the BBCHair-pulling, wrestling and kicking!Watch the moment a violent brawl unfolded in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayer’No one was treating me seriously’The woman who went for viral for claiming to be Madeleine McCann explains her motivesAttributionSoundsTime-travelling back to 1984 through the BBC archivesHits from Wham!, U2, Madonna, Lionel Richie and moreAttributioniPlayerThe Swedish furniture king’s billionaire lifestyleDeconstructing IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad and his eccentric way of livingAttributionSoundsMost Read1Amy Schumer hits back at comments about her face2King’s cancer may bring family closer, says Harry3Father jailed for life for toddler’s murder4Teenage victim of fatal stabbing named by police5Brian Wilson’s family seeks conservatorship6Jordan North to leave Radio 1 after 10 years7Tory gloom deepens after double poll blow8Six taken to hospital as migrants found in lorry9Shephard and Deeley named This Morning hosts10Jury told Emma Caldwell accused committed ‘appalling’ crimes](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/17CD8/production/_132669479_nasser.jpg)
