Unknown gunmen have on Monday afternoon, kidnapped a Spanish aid worker named Roberto Vila Xesto in the central Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses told Ma’an’s reporter that the Spanish citizen was accompanying another aid worker, Celine Gagne, and an interpreter in a car travelling on Salahaddin Street, in Deir al-Balah in the middle of the Gaza Strip, when a number of gunmen blocked the way and kidnapped him, taking him from the car. Vila Xesto, 34, from Ourense in Galicia, is in Gaza working for the institution “Cooperacion por la Paz” [Cooperation for Peace], which works closely with the International Committee of the Red Cross. Read more about Spanish aid worker kidnapped in Gaza
Ma’an news agency photographer Mohammad Az Zanoun was discharged on Sunday from the the Soroka Israeli hospital where he had been undergoing treatment for the last three weeks. Mohammad was injured by Israeli shrapnel and shot in the stomach while covering the Israeli aggression and incursion of the Ash Sheja’iyya neighborhood in Gaza three weeks ago. He was first taken to the Ash Shifa’a hospital in Gaza and then to the Israeli hospital at Ma’an’s expense. He was met at Erez crossing into Gaza by a number of his colleagues from Ma’an, friends and family. Read more about Shot Ma'an photographer Mohammad Az Zanoun leaves hospital after three weeks of treatment
The Palestinian ministry of health revealed on Monday that the Israeli army has used a new type of explosive in its offensive on the Gaza Strip. These explosives contain toxics and radioactive materials which burn and tear the victim’s body from the inside and leave long term deformations. The ministry called upon the international community and the humanitarian organizations to send an international medical community to examine the victims and confirm the truth about these banned weapons that Israel appears to be using. Read more about Palestinian injuries suggest Israel is using chemical weapons in Gaza
Young photographer Mohammad Az Zamoun was seriously shot and injured by shrapnel from Israeli projectiles. One hit his mouth and teeth and cut his finger. The other hit him on his body. In spite of that, he continued to work, strangely insistent. Then the Israeli soldiers aimed their weapons directly at him and shot him in the stomach. He fell instantly to the ground with his camera. Eyewitnesses said that he fell to the ground shouting, “Where is the camera? There are many photos in it which are witness to the killing of Palestinians; there are many photos of the Palestinians who have been killed.” Read more about Ma'an news agency Gaza photographer shot and seriously injured
Widespread Israeli incursions and air strikes in the Gaza Strip have killed at least nineteen Palestinians in less than 24 hours. The latest strike on Beit Lahiya in the north of the Gaza Strip on Thursday afternoon has killed at least 12 Palestinians and injured over forty. At least three of the injured are said to be in a critical condition. With this, the number of Palestinians killed in the Strip in the last 18 hours has increased to 19, and the number of injuries is currently in the fifties. Many of these are civilians, women and children. Medical sources said that the casualties were transported to various hospitals in the Strip in spite of the current disruption of electricity which makes the treatment of these casualties critical and difficult. Read more about Israeli air strikes and incursions into Gaza kill at least nineteen Palestinians
