Neonatal doctor Thabat Saleem killed by Israel in central Gaza strike
Condolences have been pouring in for a Palestinian neonatal doctor following her killing in an Israeli attack in central Gaza.
Thabat Saleem, who worked as a volunteer at the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, was killed in a strike on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp during overnight bombing on Monday.
The hospital where 30-year-old Saleem worked announced her death, writing: "The management and staff at the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital mourn the death of our colleague proudly and with honour, Dr Thabat Saleem, who was martyred as a result of [Israel's] aggression, God bless her and accept her as a martyr."
Dr Muneer Alboursh, the director general of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, mourned the physician in a post on X and praised her for her work during Israel's year-long war on Gaza.
"She worked tirelessly for nearly a year before being martyred moments ago as a result of an Israeli occupation forces air strike on a home in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp," he said.
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Since 7 October 2023, the death toll from Israel's campaign in Gaza has risen to 45,854 people, with an additional 109,139 left wounded.
More than 1,150 of those killed have been healthcare workers, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza has previously accused Israel of “deliberately targeting” Palestinian medical workers.
“Medical teams work in dangerous conditions, and we call on international bodies to take effective steps to protect them,” a spokesperson with the health ministry told Al Jazeera Arabic.
'Pattern' of destruction
A UN report in late December warned that a "pattern" of destruction of Gaza's hospitals by Israeli forces has pushed its healthcare system to the "point of almost complete collapse".
Covering the period from 7 October 2023 to 30 June 2024, it found that "22 out of 38 hospitals across Gaza had been rendered non-functional".
Saleem's killing follows the destruction of Kamal Adwan Hospital, the last remaining in northern Gaza.
Israeli forces stormed the hospital last week, following nearly three months of blockade and constant air strikes on its buildings.
Although not within the remit of the report's time period, the attack followed the same pattern highlighted, which includes "missile strikes on hospital buildings, the destruction of hospital facilities, shooting of civilians, sieges, as well as temporarily taking over the hospital buildings."
In one of Israel's most recent prominent targeting of healthcare workers, the director of northern Gaza's last functioning hospital was beaten and detained in Israel's notorious Sde Teiman prison
Several rights groups have warned there are "alarming indications" of torture and abuse of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, after Israeli forces abducted him in late December.
Many have urged for the release of Abu Safiya, with the World Health Organization (WHO) saying it was "appalled" by the raid and MedGlobal, a humanitarian NGO providing healthcare in disaster areas, demanding his immediate release.
"His arrest is not only unjust - it is a violation of international humanitarian law, which upholds the protection of medical personnel in conflict zones," said Zaher Sahloul, president of MedGlobal, in a statement.
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