Palestinian medic killed in Israeli prison: Gaza Health Ministry

Red Cross officials wait outside Israel’s Ofer Prison as thousands of displaced Palestinians go to check on their homes as the 4-day humanitarian pause begins for prisoner exchange and aid in Ramallah, Gaza on November 24, 2023. [Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu Agency]

A Palestinian paramedic was killed in Israeli prison following his arrest at a medical complex in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Saturday, Anadolu reports.

The ministry confirmed the death of medic Hamdan Abu Anaba while in Israeli detention, the World First Aid Day said on Telegram.

Anaba and his colleagues were arrested while performing their duties as medics at Nasser Medical Complex in December, the ministry said.

The ministry called on international and human rights groups to investigate the fate of dozens of healthcare workers who were detained at hospitals while carrying out their humanitarian duties.

World First Aid Day, observed annually on the second Saturday of September, was established in 2000 by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

READ: 4 children among 12 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on northern, southern Gaza Strip

More than 885 medical personnel have been killed and 310 others detained since the war on Gaza began last October, said the government media office on Sept. 10.

Last Dec. 2, Israeli forces arrested four paramedics, including Anaba, despite their prior coordination, as they were heading northward from Khan Yunis in the south to evacuate the wounded.

Despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since a Hamas attack last October.

Over 41,000 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and over 95,000 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

READ: New footage shows mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli

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