The extermination of the Palestinian people must end, the chairman of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has said, as dozens of heads of state gather for the regional body's 39th summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. In the Middle East, Palestine and the suffering of its people also challenge our consciences. The extermination of this people must stop, said Youssouf, who was elected to head the institution a year ago, declared on Saturday.
Since October's ceasefire, which meant Israel would allow some - but not nearly enough - aid trucks to enter our besieged Strip, people in Gaza have desperately been eating, whenever possible, what they had been deprived of previously. Yet, as a result, many have developed " refeeding syndrome," which is a serious medical condition. Refeeding syndrome occurs when food is suddenly reintroduced after a prolonged period of starvation - and Israel has subjected those of us in Gaza to such periods on multiple occasions.
Late in the afternoon, in less than two hours, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took control of the flotilla's three main ships, carrying a total of 90 passengers: Alma, which contained the entire mission's leadership (including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, whose arrest the Israeli government subsequently shared images of), Sirius, which carried former mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, and Adara, which comprised approximately 25 people.
Our vessels are being illegally intercepted. Cameras are offline and vessels have been boarded by military personnel. We are actively working to confirm the safety and status of all participants on board.
Israel's apartheid across the occupied Palestinian territories is "far worse" than the apartheid perpetrated by white nationalists for decades in South Africa, Nelson Mandela's grandson, Mandla Mandela, said in remarks on Wednesday. "Many of us that have visited the occupied territories in Palestine have only come back with one conclusion: that the Palestinians are experiencing a far worse form of apartheid than we ever experienced," said Mandela. "These last two years, what you have been witnessing, is a testament to that."
GBS is a condition where the body's immune system attacks the myelin sheath, which protects the peripheral nerves. This exposes the nerve fibre and causes nerve damage. Peripheral nerves branch out from the brain and spinal cord to all parts of the body, such as the skin, muscles and organs. GBS is a very rare condition, affecting about 100,000 people worldwide every year, according to the Cleveland Clinic's website.
