Gaza: Israeli occupation forces kidnapped Dr. Marwan Al Hams, director of field hospitals affiliated with the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, and killed a journalist while wounding another accompanying him on Monday.
According to Qatar News Agency, Dr. Al Hams, who previously directed Abu Yousef al Najjar Hospital in Rafah before its destruction during the Israeli invasion, was responsible for managing field hospitals and served as a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Dr. Munir Al Barsh, Director General of the Ministry of Health, stated that a special armed force kidnapped Dr. Al Hams during a visit to the Red Cross Hospital west of Khan Yunis. Journalist Tamer al Za'anin was killed, and journalist Ibrahim Abu Ushaib was wounded in the incident.
Dr. Al Barsh emphasized that the kidnapping represents a direct attack on the voices advocating for patients in Gaza, holding the occupation responsible for Dr. Al Hams' well-being. He highlighted that the abduction aims to silence significant humanitarian and medical voices who report on the dire conditions faced by the population, including children suffering from hunger and the wounded lacking medical treatment.
Ismail Al Thawabtah, Director of the Government Media Office, reported that the Israeli forces opened fire on the ambulance carrying Dr. Al Hams, resulting in the journalist's death and injuries to others, including the ambulance driver. Al Thawabtah affirmed that Dr. Al Hams was kidnapped while performing routine duties en route to a field hospital, calling the act a war crime and a grave violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that the ongoing aggression by Israeli forces includes targeting the health system by destroying hospitals and clinics, incapacitating medical services, and arresting or killing medical personnel and hospital directors.