Friday, November 24, 2023

Al-Shifa Hospital Premature Babies: All what We know about Rana, Halima’s Baby

When I shared the photo of the premature baby lying alone in an incubator, one eye open and the other injured, little did I anticipate that this image, offering a glimpse into the world of the renowned Al-Shifa Hospital's premature babies, would quickly go viral.

Premature Baby Rana of Gaza, the daughter of Halima Abd Rabou
Premature Baby Rana of Gaza, the daughter of Halima Abd Rabou
by Belal Khaled 

I felt a sense of joy, thinking that the narrative of this tiny fighter, who not only battled for her life as a preterm baby but also faced the additional challenge of being Palestinian, a life the Israeli army seemed indifferent to, resonated with many.

She was introduced in the Arab media as Baby Halima, named after her deceased mother. Regrettably, it later came to light that my information was inaccurate, stemming from a mix-up.

Now here is the correct information.

This is baby Rana Shamlakh, the daughter of Mrs Halima Abd Rabou.

According to photojournalist Belal Khaled of the AFP, baby Rana lost both parents, they are martyrs according to the official documents issued by the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The family are martyrs in Arabic  by Belal Khaled
The family are martyrs in Arabic 
by Belal Khaled 

It is unclear if the mother, Mrs Halima died during the delivery or in the war. 

There was a mix-up of information when Khaled, who is currently doing a tremendous job of transferring the image of what is happening in South Gaza, captured her famous photo at the Emirati field hospital and her medical record where she was introduced as the baby of Halima Abd Rabou.

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Watch this: Long Live us and Long Live Palestine in video

In the wake of the 2023 Gaza War, a surge of Arab and Palestinian artists took to the internet to express their solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza through their art. This outpouring of creative expression is not a new phenomenon for the Arab world.

Long Live us and Long Live Palestine "Omar Rammal"
Long Live Us and Long Live Palestine "Omar Rammal"

On the contrary, Palestine and the Palestinian resistance have long been a source of inspiration for artworks across various mediums, including painting, literature, poetry, cinema, and music.

This time arts found a bigger and quicker platform online. I wanted to share samples of those artworks. After all, it is important to share with the world what we say because it seems that the world does not see us as humans. 

Please watch this short film by Palestinian director Omar Rammal. It went viral on social media across the Arab world in the past few days.

It is called “Long Live Us, Long Live Palestine.”
And yes, there are whole younger generations of Palestinians that won’t forget nor forgive.

Sunday, November 19, 2023

Can we save Old Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter?

 On Saturday, the Patriarchs and heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a joint statement declaring their total support and solidarity with the Armenian Patriarchate warning against Israeli settler takeover of Armenian Quarter land without saying explicitly.

It was the latest update in ongoing serious development that is not covered as it should in the media due to the ongoing ethnic genocide in Gaza by the Israeli army.

The statement of the Churches in Jerusalem and the Holy Land expressing deep concern about recent events in the Armenian Quarter of old Jerusalem.

They urgently appeal to relevant authorities to restore peace and harmony in the Armenian Quarter, emphasizing the need for legal negotiations to prevent further escalations.

Cathedral of Saint James in the Armenian Quarter
The door to the famous Cathedral of Saint James in the Armenian Quarter 
Arab Media considers it as a symbol of the Armenian Quarter 
with its words in Arabic "The Armenian Monastery"  

The statement of the Churches of Christianity's Holy Land comes after the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem issued a statement on Saturday pleading with them to stand with it in what it called "unprecedented times," saying that what has been happening in the past few days was "another clear step taken toward the endangerment of the Christian presence in Jerusalem and the Holy Land."

So, What is happening in the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem's Old City?

Israeli Occupation Police aka IOP ordered local Armenians to vacate the Armenian Gardens, also known as the Cows' Garden, in the Old City of Jerusalem, alleging misappropriation of property.

How or why did this happen?

It turned out that the Armenian Patriarchate made a significant mistake, and there is now a genuine concern that this error may jeopardize the existence of the Armenian community in Old Jerusalem after 16 centuries of its presence.

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Gaza War 2023: After 40 days and nights "Graphic"

After 40 days and nights since the commencement of the Israeli war supported by the West in Gaza, it becomes apparent that the objectives were not solely focused on freeing Israeli captives or eliminating Hamas.

After 40 days and nights, the toll stands at 11,320 Palestinians killed, predominantly civilians, with 4,650 children, 3,145 women, and 685 elderly among the victims due to the Israeli airstrikes, shelling and besiege. " Israeli airstrike killed at least 13 Israeli captives but their safety is not a priority for the Israeli Military as what it is important to them is to keep that fake military superiority alive"

father mourns his son after he was killed due to an Israeli airstrike  in Gaza last "AFP
A father mourns his son after he was killed due to an Israeli airstrike 
in Gaza last "AFP

These documented deaths represent only a part of the tragic toll. Currently, there are still 3,600 Palestinians, including 1,750 children, officially listed as missing, presumed to be under the rubble.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), during this period, a Palestinian child was tragically lost every 10 minutes on average.

Monday, November 13, 2023

Gaza War 2023 : This is what the real humans of Gaza say /are saying/said "Vol.1"

The people of Gaza have something to say to the world and you must hear them.

They are not those fake people of Gaza with fake terrible accents shown on Israel’s official accounts.

a boy from Gaza
A child looking at the dead body of his father
 before his burial in Khan Younes, Gaza 
by Belal Khaled 
First, the children of Gaza read this statement in a press conference in front of the famous Al-Shifa Hospital on 7 November.

“We want to live, we want peace, we want food, medicine and education; not bombs,” They said.

It seems that very few heard them because Israel intensified its attack against one of the few remaining hospitals standing.

The doctors at Al-Shifa Hospital persistently stand, dedicated to aiding patients and assisting thousands of families in search of a secure refuge amidst the horrors of war.

Saturday, November 11, 2023

Gaza War 2023: Hospitals are still attacked by "white phosphorus" , forced displacements on Day 35

For the second consecutive day, Israeli forces persist in their attacks on Al-Shifa Hospital, with some units reportedly advancing in the North of Gaza.

Gaza's El-Shifa Hospital
El-Shifa Hospital is the only building with lights now in its area in Gaza 
Saber Nur El-Din for EPA 

Video and photographic evidence captured the Israeli army once again using white phosphorus while bombing the vicinity of the hospital.

Dr Khaled Abo Samra is from the doctors currently there and he posted this on Friday.

"We are enduring the most challenging moments within the confines of Shifa Hospital amid the brutality of Zionism. The Israelis have specifically targeted the maternity and outpatient buildings, opening fire and causing shrapnel to hit the complex. Those of us who remain, the doctors, are resiliently holding on, endeavouring to organize and multitask as nurses and cleaners. We consider ourselves an integral part of this land, and we make a solemn promise that we will not abandon our post until our last breath."

Israeli forces and their tanks reached the Al-Rantisti Children's hospitals and ordered the people to evacuate, only when the Palestinian people raised the white flags and their hands in surrender, they were shot by the Israeli military.

Friday, November 10, 2023

Gaza War 2023: The Israeli army unleashes R9X Hellfire on Al-Shifa Hospital “Warning: Graphic content”

Once again, we witness a real-time war crime being committed by the Israeli army, and the world seems indifferent, oblivious, and unresponsive.

Just a few hours ago, the Israeli occupation army deployed an AGM-114 Hellfire missile, also known as the R9X through a drone, in the yard of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, resulting in disturbing and graphic scenes of bloodshed that were captured on video. Here was the bloody moment, the missile hit the yard.

These are the remains of an Israeli artillery illumination round

“Warning: Graphic content”

At least one person lost his leg in this attack. Here is another angle for that young man who lost a limb in a few seconds. 

According to Palestinian activists and journalists, the Israeli army targeted the hospital’s yard next to the journalists' tent, close to where live stream cameras are mounted. People were sleeping as you can sleep.

The hospital yard has already been transformed into a shelter for internally displaced Palestinian families, including those of the injured.

Here is another video showing the moment the hospital yard was hit. 

The Hellfire R9X is an American air-to-ground missile, a variant of the Hellfire missile featuring a kinetic warhead with pop-out blades instead of explosives.

Commonly known as “Ninja missile”, the R9X has six blades flying at high speed, to crush and cut the targeted person.

It is designed allegedly for precision strikes against specific human targets. Its notoriety grew when the US military employed it to track down prominent Al-Qaeda figures, including Ayman El-Zawahary.

It is not the first time the Israeli army has used that type of similar weapons. In 2018, during the peaceful protests of “The Great Return March” which was organized by Palestinian Poet Ahmed Artema at the border fence, Israel fatally shot over 200 people and left 10,000 others injured. 

The Israeli forces used a novel type of ammunition called the "butterfly bullet," which detonates upon impact, causing extensive damage to tissue, arteries, and bone in the targeted individuals.

The Israeli army claims that the Hamas leadership is located beneath Al-Shifa hospital, which has been refuted as a false claim.

I think we saw in the videos that those who had their legs cut were simply Palestinian civilians who thought that they would be safe in the hospital!!

Non-Muslim Non-Arab doctors from Western countries who worked at this hospital were the first to deny these allegations, but the international community seems to be unresponsive.

Both the Palestinians and Hamas have called on the UN to inspect the hospitals to verify the truth of the Israeli allegations, but their pleas have largely gone unheard, and these hospitals remain largely undefended.

Here's a copyedited version of the paragraph:

Thursday evening alone, the Israeli army, often referred to as the "most moral" army in the world, launched attacks on four Gaza hospitals in a single night. First, they targeted Al-Rantisti Children's Hospital, rendering it inoperable.

It is like an inferno !! The Israeli army used white phosphorus missiles against the children’s hospital.

Then they directed their attack towards the Awada Hospital.

And yes, this is the “fire belt bombing”.

Then we had the attack on Al-Shifa hospital.

According to the health officials in Gaza, it is only a matter of hours before all hospitals in Gaza will be out of service.

The number of victims in Gaza and West Bank killed by the Israeli attacks reached 10,966 people in addition to 28,500 injured. According to the official numbers, 10,818 people have been killed so far in Gaza including 4,412 children and 2,451 women.

This week, Gaza's only psychiatric hospital became non-functional after sustaining damages due to an attack on 5 November.

According to the UNRWA, there 50,000 pregnant women are in Gaza, with over 180 giving birth every day.

Unfortunately, the Israeli army won't stop.