Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Fears were growing on Monday for the safety of staff detained at Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital after the Israeli military stormed the facility and arrested around 240 people, including its director Dr Hussam Abu Safia, whose detention has sparked widespread criticism.
The Friday night raid on the hospital in Beit Lahia put the last major health facility in northern Gaza out of service, the World Health Organisation has said. The WHO on Monday called for the release of Dr Hussam, who Israel accuses of being a Hamas militant. "His whereabouts are unknown. We call for his immediate release," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X.
Israel's military said it killed about 20 Palestinian militants in the raid and apprehended 240 "terrorists", calling it one of its largest operations in the territory. Dr Hussam's plight has garnered widespread sympathy in Gaza, where he commands respect for persevering through difficult conditions since Israel launched its war on the enclave in October last year.
He has lost a son to the violence as well as his home and has sustained several injuries during Israeli attacks on the hospital. Witnesses to the raid on Kamal Adwan told The National on Monday that Dr Hussam had been unfairly targeted and mistreated. His other son, Idris Abu Safia, said the doctor was forced to strip naked in freezing conditions and physically assaulted.
“Dr Hussam was insulted, humiliated, and ultimately detained. They showed no regard for his position or his contributions,” said a nurse from the hospital who requested anonymity.
Born and raised in Gaza, Dr Hussam received his medical education in Kazakhstan, where he specialised in paediatrics. For years he has served at hospitals in the enclave's north, earning a reputation as a skilled medic with a gentle demeanour, Gazans told The National. He chose to remain at the hospital after the war broke out, despite threats of arrest from Israel.
Patients being treated at Kamal Adwan when the Israelis stormed the hospital on Friday were forcibly taken to smaller medical facilities in Gaza city. The raid was the culmination of a weeks-long military siege of the compound, where Israel says militants are sheltering.
Israa Hassouna, a witness who was with her injured brother at Kamal Adwan, said women were forced out of the hospital at gunpoint. “Some were taken to Al Fakhoura [school], while others were sent to the Indonesian Hospital,” she said. Families begged to stay with the patients but were separated, she added.
Ms Hassouna said she waited hours to be told her brother had been taken to Indonesian Hospital, where she said conditions were dire. “There were no basic necessities – no food, no proper medical supplies. Patients like my brother were brought in by ambulance, but there were barely any nurses, and the hospital had been heavily damaged in previous attacks.”
A WHO delegation later arrived and facilitated an evacuation to Gaza city, she added. “The freezing weather made everything worse. By the time we reached Al Shifa Hospital, everyone’s condition had deteriorated further. The patients had been interrogated by the army and deprived of food and warmth.”
The family of Dr Hussam, along with journalists and activists, have launched a media campaign for his release. “There are testimonies from released detainees about the torture he endured,” his son Idris said. “The occupation tries to deny it, but the truth is evident in the accounts of those who witnessed it first-hand. My father is the director of a civilian hospital, someone who poses no threat to anyone."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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