bloodbath

An Australian medic working at Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital says she has lost count of the number of amputations she has had to perform, as two more hospitals were shut down amid Israel’s relentless bombardment of the enclave.

“On the first day, I started off thinking I’ve never seen anything like this, and then in the following days I’ve seen … more. I’ve lost count of the number of amputations I’ve done,” Dr Saya Aziz, an anaesthesiologist, told Al Jazeera.

“The worst thing is these patients are alive … when we take them into the [operation] theatre they’re alive, they’re bleeding to death,” she said, adding how in the recess area of the hospital, dangling bits of toes and flesh and people with missing limbs have become a common sight.

Dr Aziz, who joined the barely functional medical facility about a week ago, says that as soon as hospital staff members hear a huge bomb, within minutes, the hospital fills up with mass casualties.

“You’ll hear the wailing, the screams, the chaos of family members bringing in the patients … it is a bloodbath,” she said.

The doctor added that the hospital’s operating theatre is also in a sordid state with flies everywhere, while Israel has curbed the entry of aid, including medical supplies, into Gaza.

“Everything is just filthy. I can’t even clean the patients covered in dust, gun powder, we’ve got no gauze … I wish I had a couple of towels, which I could wash the patients with. I have no fluids to clean them with. I have no pain relief to give them. My heart breaks,” Aziz said.

Healthcare crippled by Israeli attacks

Al-Shifa Hospital was once the largest medical complex in the Gaza Strip, but most of it now lies in ruins after several rounds of intense Israeli ground and air sieges since the start of the war in October 2023.

Gaza’s healthcare facilities have been repeatedly targeted by Israel, including with 2,000-pound bombs supplied by the United States, Israel’s closest ally.

Hundreds of medics have been killed in the 23 months of brutal war that has been dubbed a genocide by numerous rights organisations, including the United Nations.

Dr Adnan Al-Bursh, the head of orthopaedics at al-Shifa Hospital, was tortured to death in an Israeli prison months after he was arrested in December 2023. Dr Hussam Abu Safia, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was arrested last November. He still languishes in an Israeli jail.

Targeting of health facilities, medical personnel and patients is considered a war crime under the 1949 Geneva Convention.

Aziz said that on Sunday, Israel’s attacks also killed one of the hospital’s nursing staff and his wife.

“Their one surviving child, an 11-year-old, had burns on his face. I couldn’t even give him any pain relief,” she said, tearing up.

“His name is Mohammad, and he kept saying, ‘I could see my father, I never even said goodbye to him.’”

Israel has routinely justified its deadly attacks on healthcare facilities across Gaza by saying it was targeting Hamas, though it has never provided any proof for its claims.

But media reports, including from Al Jazeera, have documented evidence of Israel’s targeting of medics and hospitals during the course of the devastating war that has killed more than 65,300 Palestinians.

On Monday, the Gaza Health Ministry said two Gaza City hospitals stopped services due to the escalation of Israel’s ground offensive and damage caused by continued Israeli bombing, as tanks advanced deeper into Gaza City.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City have been forced to flee, as Israel has vowed to seize the city, which hosted more than a million people ahead of the latest Israeli offensive that began a few weeks ago.

Famine has also spread in Gaza as Israel continues to block the entry of aid. At least 440 people have died due to starvation so far.

The Health Ministry said in a statement that al-Rantissi Children’s Hospital had been badly damaged in an Israeli bombardment a few days ago. It also reported Israeli attacks in the vicinity of the nearby St John Eye Hospital, which forced the suspension of services there, too.

“The occupation deliberately and systematically targets the healthcare system in the Gaza governorate as part of its genocidal policy against the Strip,” it said.

“None of the facilities or hospitals have safe access routes that allow patients and the wounded to reach them,” the ministry added.

But despite Israel’s attacks, doctors at the major urban centre’s al-Shifa Hospital say leaving patients is not an option.

“Our medical crews are still carrying out their humanitarian mission in this hospital complex under heavy pressure,” the director of the hospital, Dr Muhammad Abu Salmiya, told Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili in Gaza City on Saturday.

“Their message continues: We serve patients and the injured to the best of our abilities.”

Richard Madeley is among names remaining in roles on ITV programmes, like Good Morning Britain, despite a huge cull this summer – a bloodbath which will see more than 200 off-screen roles cut

Backroom staff at ITV are reportedly “furious” to see “the little people get the boot” in favour of “the big names” amid the broadcaster’s bloodbath.

ITV is making huge changes to its daytime programming, and is axing more than 200 off-screen roles as a result. Good Morning Britain is merging with ITV News, but all of their top presenters – who include Susanna Reid, Richard Madeley, Julie Etchingham and Tom Bradby – will remain in post for now at least, it is said.

Madeley, 69, penned a short-term deal to remain in his position for six more months at least. It is understood Kate Garraway is safe – as is presenter Adil Ray, who looked set to be axed. Instead, insiders say his shifts will be cut. Yet, ITV was brutal to axe Noel Edmonds’ big TV comeback after just one series despite its huge launch.

And the daytime cuts primarily affect tireless production staff, who work off screen. The consultation period, which will determine who will be the victims of these brutal financial cuts, has been underway for some months and employees are said to be angry with the situation.

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One insider told Mail Online: “All the big names are staying while the little people get the boot. It is horrendous. You’d think if you wanted to save a big lump of cash you could get rid of some of the presenters. There are loads of them. But no, instead they’ve all been told they are safe.”

For now, everyone on Good Morning Britain and ITV News will continue their separate shows. This Morning’s presenters will also stay in situ. In response to this, he insider added: “The cuts will fall to those who earn pennies in comparison. When this was all announced, we thought some of the stars would go – and rightfully so. Some of them are rubbish. Rather than there being three or four backstage workers doing a certain job, there will be one – but there will still be loads of presenters.” The source did not identify names when using the word “rubbish”.

ITV has always said it has to slash costs. Some onscreen journalists are also facing the axe in a bid to balance the books, but it is thought none of the mainstay hosts are affected.

One presenter told Mail Online: “It’s awful to see, awful. These people work so hard and they’ve still lost their jobs. And where are they going to go?… The industry is getting smaller and smaller for production staff.”

Loose Women and Lorraine have also been decimated by the cuts, with presenters on the former facing the prospect of only being aired for 30 weeks a year. Lorraine, too, is going from 52 weeks a year to 30, as well as being cut back from an hour to just half an hour in transmission time.

Activists in Paris dyed a fountain red to symbolise what they called “the bloodbath” taking place in Gaza. The protesters said a lack of political will to confront Israel’s actions in Gaza was increasingly being seen as “a form of complicity” with genocide.

ITV star Lorraine Kelly is willing to pull out all the stops to save her daytime show amid severe cuts at the broadcaster

Lorraine Kelly, 65, is fighting to save the long-term future of her show. Insiders say the TV presenter – whose programme faces major cuts in an ITV cost drive – will have to “pull out all the stops” for it to survive.

Lorraine will now air only 30 weeks a year instead of all year, with episodes cut to 30 minutes from an hour. A source said: “Lorraine was not happy about what is happening and also had concern for the production team which will be cut back too.

“But the truth is she has to roll her sleeves up and work harder on her own show than she has in recent years, otherwise the long-term future does not look good. She has been an icon of ITV but serious cuts need to be made and her show has been cut to just 30 minutes, which after ad breaks will be a very short chunk of time.

“She needs to show bosses it is worth keeping on air. You can expect her to be pulling hard to get big name celebrities on her show instead of GMB or This Morning.”

Lorraine was told her show was being cut back in a tense private meeting with bosses – and will now need to work five days a week to have a chance of keeping it on air long term.

ITV staff working on daytime were told in a meeting on Tuesday that half of the 440 production staff will go. But boss Kevin Lygo arranged for Lorraine to be told separately in the days before. Lorraine has been a telly regular for 40 years, on GMTV and Good Morning Britain before her own show in 2010.

However, she has not been hosting Friday episodes, with Christine Lampard and Ranvir Singh filling in. Last week staff Lorraine returned after surgery to remove her ovaries, which she discussed on screen.

A source close to the show said: “February, March and April celebrated the highest viewing figures for three years. The show reaches 1.1 million every day and 2.7 million every week.”

The ITV cuts will also affect other daytime shows, with Loose Women rumoured to be losing up to 10 of its 26 panellists.

Good Morning Britain also faces cuts but one constant will be Susanna Reid. A source said: “She is someone ITV want to build the show around and is seen as an essential part of daytime. She is 100% safe from the cuts.”

Hundreds of staff are now in a consultation process at ITV. An ITV spokesman said: “At a time when our daytime teams are undergoing a period of change we will not comment on speculation around talent or staff contracts.

“Our intention is to keep our daytime shows as familiar to viewers as possible which includes seeing presenters they know and love.”

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