A Gazan woman who was evacuated to Italy for medical treatment has tragically died in a hospital, highlighting the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Marah Abu Zuhri, 20, arrived in Pisa with her mother on Wednesday night under an evacuation scheme initiated by the Italian government. Sadly, she succumbed to cardiac arrest and passed away just 48 hours later on Friday. Medical reports from the University Hospital of Pisa indicated that she was severely emaciated, suffering from significant weight and muscle loss, amid increasing warnings from the UN regarding widespread malnutrition in Gaza.
Since the onset of the current conflict, more than 180 children and adults from Gaza have been flown to Italy for urgent medical attention. This week alone, a group of 31 patients, many with grave congenital conditions or injuries, arrived in Rome, Milan, and Pisa as part of the rescue initiative. In parallel, British lawmakers are pushing for the UK government to expedite the evacuation of ill and injured children from Gaza, following a commitment made by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to establish a similar evacuation program.
The ongoing conflict continues to escalate, with the Israeli government planning to provide housing for displaced residents of Gaza City amidst a backdrop of relentless bombardment in the Zeitoun district. Recent reports indicate catastrophic conditions in the area, as displacement and casualties mount, including 36 deaths just from Israeli strikes on Saturday, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. In a grim statistic, the ministry also noted that over 250 hunger-related deaths have occurred, emphasizing the pressing health crisis. Meanwhile, the Israeli military maintains that it is focused on minimizing civilian harm, while dilemmas surrounding the reliability of casualty figures from Gaza rumble on. As the conflict endures, the loss of lives and increasing humanitarian needs present an urgent call for international action.
