Disabled residents in Gaza face extreme hardships amid ongoing conflict

China

Disabled residents in Gaza face extreme hardships amid ongoing conflict

2024-10-14 16:56 Last Updated At：20:37

People with disabilities in Gaza are facing extreme hardships amid the ongoing conflict due to their difficulty in fleeing or evacuating from potentially life-threatening situations, according to the United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The continuing conflict has taken a huge toll on Gaza, with over 42,000 deaths being reported and close to 100,000 being wounded since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last October.

Of these, the number of victims left with physical disabilities in the Gaza Strip has increased to more than 10,000, half of whom are children who have lost one or more limbs, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Among those to have sustained a life-changing injury is deaf visual artist Mahmoud Al-Muqayed, who lost an eye in an Israeli attack and has also sadly lost much of his painting collection after his home was destroyed in the bombing.

"I wish I could hold a large exhibition and display all my drawings, so everyone can see through them how much I love life and peace. I drew five pigeons, to depict my five children. I hope my message reaches everyone that we are against war and want to live a normal life like all people," he said via a sign language interpreter.

Life is also proving challenging for Muqayed’s able-bodied wife, Rasha Abu Dayeh. As her husband, along with his three deaf brothers, cannot hear explosions, she feels under extra pressure to protect them and guide them to escape when their neighborhood is targeted.

"My husband cannot hear, so in the event of any strikes or shelling, I cannot gather my husband and children to escape quickly. I even faced a situation where I had to take my husband out during the shelling but I forgot my son because of the intensity of the explosions and my confusion," she recalled.

For those who have sustained serious injuries, the widespread destruction of infrastructure across Gaza has made it even more difficult for people with disabilities to be safely relocated, including local man Zohdi Sarhan, who has his leg amputated.

"I have a physical disability. I've suffered greatly in moving from one place to another during the multiple displacements. This has greatly impacted my life. In addition, rehabilitation and prosthetics are not available at all," said Sarhan.

Advanced warplanes join drills around Taiwan island

2024-10-14 18:19 Last Updated At：20:37

Advanced warplanes of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) joined the "Joint Sword-2024B" drills in the Taiwan Strait and the north, south and east of the island of Taiwan on Monday.

The warplanes included fighter jets and batches of H-6K bombers with live ammunition.

"The core task for me and my comrade-in-arms in the drills is to break through the simulated enemy's air defense alert system, seize battlefield control, and directly test the real combat capabilities including airspace alert, air combat and in-flight refueling. We want to use a language comprehensible for the enemy and warn separatist force in Taiwan that those engaging in separatist activities will cause war, get burned for playing with fire, and bring destruction to themselves," said Wei Cao, a pilot with the PLA Eastern Theater Command.

Troops of the PLA rocket force launched multiple rounds of simulated strikes with multi-type missiles of large amounts.

The Chinese PLA Eastern Theater Command on Monday organized its troops of army, navy, air force and rocket force to conduct the "Joint Sword-2024B" drills around the island of Taiwan, said Li Xi, spokesperson for the theater command, noting the drills involve vessels and planes closing in on the island from multiple directions and assaults by joint forces.

The drills focus on joint sea-air combat readiness patrol, the blockade and control of key ports and areas, strikes on sea and land targets, and the seizure of comprehensive battlefield control, so as to test the joint real-combat capabilities of the forces of the command, Li said.

The drills are a powerful deterrent to the secession activities in Taiwan, and are legitimate and necessary actions to safeguard national sovereignty and national unity, Li said.