Surgeons in Abu Dhabi perform breakthrough surgery on Colombian fetus with spina bifida

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Although the procedure is not new, it was a first for the region. (Burjeel Medical City)
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Updated 16 June 2023
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Surgeons in Abu Dhabi perform breakthrough surgery on Colombian fetus with spina bifida

  • Team from Burjeel Medical City provide life-changing treatment free of charge
  • Hospital gave ‘a ray of hope for our baby,’ mother Valentina Rodriguez says

DUBAI: The number of reported cases of spina bifida in the Gulf region and around the world is on the increase, but many doctors believe this is due to increased awareness and better diagnostic methods, rather than a spike in the condition.

Spina bifida is a birth defect that occurs when bones forming the spine do not develop properly, leading to the spinal cord being left exposed to the amniotic fluid — the liquid that surrounds the unborn child in the womb — and resulting in a permanent disability.

No one wants to be told their baby is going to have anything other than a perfect life, but as with all things in the medical world, knowledge is power.

The increase in early diagnosis means there is a greater chance to improve the child’s life through prenatal surgery, and that is precisely what happened in Abu Dhabi this month.

Although the procedure is not new, it was a first for the region.

The operation was led by Dr. Mandeep Singh, a consultant in maternal and fetal medicine at Burjeel Medical City hospital.

He explained that before the breakthrough in prenatal surgery there were other procedures to treat the condition but they were more risky.

“We had to wait for the babies to be born. And then once the babies are born, the spinal cord needs to be closed within the first 24 hours, otherwise, there is the risk of infection, and that infection could go to the brain and cause meningitis, which is a very serious condition,” he said.

An initial study to see if an in utero procedure was possible was conducted in 2003.

“After 12 years of research, results showed that if you repair the defect in the womb, there is two times more power in the lower limbs and 1.5 times more likely to have reduced need for a shunt,” Singh said.

Spina bifida can be caused by many things. Although rare, it can be genetic but most of the time there are multiple factors preventing the spinal cord from closing, including a deficiency of folic acid (vitamin B), which is important for a healthy pregnancy.

If left untreated, the condition can have life-altering effects on the child.

“When the spinal cord is left exposed to the amniotic fluid, it causes damage. Most of the time, the centers that are controlled by the lower part of the spinal cord, or bowel and bladder, are severely damaged.

“That means these babies may not be able to walk or run. They may in the initial part of their life, but as the upper part of the body gets heavier, they are unable to walk.

“And most of them are wheelchair-bound. Or if they can walk, it is only with support. So it’s a pretty debilitating disorder if not treated,” Singh said.

He and his team successfully performed spinal correction surgery on the unborn child of a Colombian couple.

For Jason Gutierrez and Valentina Rodriguez being told their baby had spina bifida was life-changing, not least because it meant they had to fly half way round the world, leaving everything they knew behind so she could undergo the surgery.

“When I found out my baby had spina bifida, I felt really sad,” Rodriguez said. “I am a nurse and I’ve seen moms with babies with disabilities and never thought this could be a possibility for me.”

In Colombia, couples expecting babies with spina bifida have only two options: wait for the child to be born and then operate, or terminate the pregnancy.

“As time went by and no real solution came about, by miracle we heard about a center in Abu Dhabi which was able to perform the surgery immediately and at no cost to us,” Rodriguez said.

“We decided to resign from our jobs, leave our families and home and travel all the way here for our baby.”

It was not an easy decision to make, but Rodriguez said her family gave her their full support.

“My family was really sad, but on the other hand they were really happy that we were given this opportunity and a ray of hope for our baby. In Colombia, there was no solution.

“I was diagnosed during the 20th week and it could have been spotted since the 11th week, so I suspect if I stayed in Colombia, no action would have been taken and the baby would have disabilities and complications,” she said.

According to Singh, between two and four babies per 10,000 are diagnosed with the condition and the numbers are rising. While there is no clear reason for the increase, the doctor thinks it is down to more diagnoses, especially in the GCC region.

“Medical facilities are increasing so the statistics are increasing, because more people are being aware of the condition and getting the diagnosis they need,” he said.

Prenatal surgery was not without risk, however, to the baby and the mother, Singh said.

“Since this operation requires a cut to be taken from the womb, the biggest risk is scar rupture. Because this is a scar on the upper part of the womb, if she were to go into labor, there is a higher chance that the scar will give way. If the scar gives way in the pregnancy, it’s not only dangerous for the mother, but the baby will die or will be born with severe brain damage,” he said.

But Rodriguez was not thinking about the risk to herself before undergoing the surgery, which took place just two days after she arrived in Abu Dhabi.

“I wanted everything to go okay for the baby,” she said. “My preparation was more mental and spiritual. The center helped with visa arrangements, the flight tickets and the cost of the surgery was covered as well. Everything from food to accommodation has been provided. Otherwise there was no way we could afford it.”

A team of 10 people, including four surgeons, were involved in the procedure. While Singh is an expert in maternal–fetal medicine, the repair to the baby’s spine was carried out by a neurosurgeon.

Singh said there were many hospitals in East Asia, Africa, North America and Europe that could perform the procedure but Burjeel Medical City was a center for the Gulf region.

“There is a vast geographical area where this procedure is not done. Our center now provides solutions for parents who are seeking help in the region,” he said.

“We promise to make our results available to every prospective parent who comes here, because that’s the best way of giving confidence to prospective parents. And in medicine, there is nothing to hide. The outcomes have to be open and transparent for people to trust you.”

Rodriguez is expected to have her baby in Abu Dhabi in August. She does not know how long she and her husband will stay in the country but said they would remain as long as it took to ensure her baby was healthy and safe.


Saudi Arabia, France issue joint UN declaration calling for 2-state solution, end to Gaza war

Updated 29 July 2025
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Saudi Arabia, France issue joint UN declaration calling for 2-state solution, end to Gaza war

  • It pushes for reunification of Gaza and West Bank under control of the Palestinian Authority, and for Hamas to relinquish power in Gaza and surrender its weapons
  • Floats the idea of a future ‘Peace Day’ to mark formal end of the conflict and the launch of regional cooperation in trade, energy and infrastructure

NEW YORK CITY: France and Saudi Arabia issued a joint declaration at the UN on Tuesday calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, and setting out a detailed international road map for the implementation of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Released at the close of a high-level international conference in New York, which the two countries co-chaired, and seen by Arab News, the “New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine” outlined a time-bound process for establishing an independent, sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel, with security guarantees for both sides.

The declaration was endorsed by a broad group of international partners that had chaired working groups during the conference, including Brazil, Egypt, Japan, Ireland and the EU, in what organizers described as an “unprecedented global consensus” on the urgent need to resolve the long-standing conflict.

“The war in Gaza must end now,” the declaration stated. It condemned the attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza that have resulted in large-scale civilian casualties and the destruction of infrastructure.

It warned that a continuing conflict, absent a credible path to peace, “poses grave threats to regional and international stability,” and called for the immediate implementation of a phased ceasefire agreement, brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the US, to end hostilities, secure the release of hostages, and ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The declaration additionally called for the reunification of Gaza and the West Bank under the control of the Palestinian Authority, and for Hamas to relinquish power in Gaza and surrender its weapons. A transitional administrative committee, backed by international partners, would be established under the authority of the PA, supported by a temporary, UN-led stabilization mission to protect civilians and assist with the security and governance transitions.

“Only a political solution can deliver peace or security,” the declaration stated, as it reaffirmed international backing for a two-state solution based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

The declaration also pledged broad international support for the reconstruction of Gaza, endorsing an Arab-Organization of Islamic Cooperation recovery plan, and announced a forthcoming Gaza Reconstruction Conference to take place in Cairo. It committed to the creation of a dedicated international trust fund, reaffirmed the role of UN Relief and Works Agency, and backed the Palestinian Authority’s agenda for reforms.

Recent commitments made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to hold elections and pursue peaceful statehood, alongside plans for democratic reforms and enhanced governance, were welcomed.

The signatories also called on Israeli authorities to halt settlement activity, end settler violence, and give a clear public commitment to a two-state solution. “Unilateral measures threaten to destroy the last remaining path to peace,” the declaration warned.

It linked Palestinian statehood to broader normalization and integration efforts in the Middle East. It proposed exploration of a regional security framework, modeled on the Association of

Southeast Asian Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and floated the idea of a future “Peace Day” to mark the formal conclusion of the conflict and the launch of regional cooperation in trade, energy and infrastructure.

The co-chairs of the conference pledged to present a progress report on efforts to implement the declaration during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in September, and tasked the chairs of the working groups with establishing a follow-up mechanism under the umbrella of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

“This is a historic opportunity,” the declaration stated. “The time for decisive, collective action is now — to end the war, realize Palestinian statehood, and secure peace and dignity for both peoples.”

The long road to Palestinian statehood
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Israel military intercepts Houthi missile fired from Yemen

Updated 29 July 2025
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Israel military intercepts Houthi missile fired from Yemen

  • Houthis later claimed the attack, saying they had fired a missile at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv

JERUSALEM: Sirens sounded in several Israeli cities, including Jerusalem, on Tuesday as the military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, with Houthi militants later claiming the attack.
“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted by the Israeli air force,” the military said in a statement.
The Houthis later claimed the attack, saying they had fired a missile at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi fighters have launched repeated missile and drone attacks against Israel since their Palestinian ally Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war.
The Houthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians, paused their attacks during a two-month ceasefire in Gaza that ended in March, but renewed them after Israel resumed major operations.
Israel has carried out several retaliatory strikes in Yemen, targeting Houthi-held ports and the airport in the rebel-held capital Sanaa.


Israel ‘using thirst as a weapon to kill Palestinians’ in Gaza, UN experts say

Updated 29 July 2025
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Israel ‘using thirst as a weapon to kill Palestinians’ in Gaza, UN experts say

  • ‘Cutting off water and food is a silent but lethal bomb that kills mostly children and babies,’ they warn
  • As summer temperatures soar and hygiene conditions deteriorate rapidly, fatalities from dehydration are increasing and outbreaks of waterborne diseases are spreading

NEW YORK CITY: A group of UN human rights experts on Monday accused Israeli authorities of deliberately depriving Palestinians in Gaza of access to clean drinking water. They described this alleged action as a grave violation of international law and a potential crime against humanity.

“Israel is using thirst as a weapon to kill Palestinians,” the experts said. “Cutting off water and food is a silent but lethal bomb that kills mostly children and babies.”

The independent experts, who are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, said that water and sanitation systems in Gaza have been systematically targeted throughout the Israel’s ongoing military campaign.

Since the conflict began in October 2023, Israeli forces have destroyed or severely damaged wells, pipelines, desalination plants and sewage networks. According to the UN, nearly 90 percent of the territory’s water infrastructure is no longer functional, leaving more than 90 percent of the population without reliable access to safe water supplies.

As summer temperatures soar and hygiene conditions deteriorate rapidly, fatalities from dehydration are increasing and outbreaks of waterborne disease are spreading. Most of the 2 million residents of Gaza have been displaced, with many of them forced to drink contaminated water and live without even basic sanitation.

“This catastrophe was not only predictable, it was predicted,” the UN experts said. “The deliberate denial of water and essential supplies is part of a pattern of collective punishment and may amount to extermination under international law.”

The experts referred to an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in July 2024, which reaffirmed Israel’s obligations as an occupying power to ensure civilians are able to access adequate supplies of food and water.

Instead, the experts noted, Israeli authorities have further reduced the already limited flow of emergency water deliveries, and continue to block essential shipments of fuel required to power desalination and sanitation systems.

The UN Relief and Works Agency, the main humanitarian agency in Gaza, has warned that it will be forced to close several of its remaining wells entirely unless immediate authorization is granted for fuel deliveries to the territory. These sources currently provide hundreds of thousands of liters of water to people each day for drinking and hygiene purposes.

“With fuel supplies nearly exhausted, humanitarian organizations are scaling back life-saving work, including the distribution of water,” the UN experts said.

Describing the situation as “barbaric,” they added that the actions of the Israeli government meet the legal definition of genocide. They cited the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court and defines genocide as “deliberate infliction of conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of a population.”

They urged the international community to act decisively, calling for the immediate deployment of naval humanitarian missions from Mediterranean ports to deliver fuel, water and aid workers to Gaza. They also called for urgent action to restore water and sanitation systems in Gaza, and an end to restrictions on humanitarian access.

“The international community must act now to end this inhumane and unlawful deprivation,” the experts said. “This is a test of global conscience — and failure is not an option.”

The statement was issued by seven of UN’s special rapporteurs and experts responsible for issues related to human rights, water and sanitation, food, health, displaced persons, and the occupied Palestinian territories. They operate independently, are not members of UN staff, work on a voluntary basis and do not speak on behalf of the organization.


Far-right minister says Israel should reoccupy Gaza

Updated 29 July 2025
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Far-right minister says Israel should reoccupy Gaza

  • Bezalel Smotrich evoked the 2005 withdrawal in which Israel evacuated 8,000 settlers and its soldiers from the Gaza Strip
  • Several Israeli far-right groups will march Wednesday under the slogan “20 years later, we’re coming back to the Gaza Strip”

JERUSALEM: Israel should reoccupy Gaza rather than negotiate with Hamas, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Tuesday at an event marking the 20th anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal of settlers from the Palestinian territory.
“Gaza is an integral part of Israel. How to move on to a tangible plan (for resettlement)? We need to need think about it, and above all we must succeed,” said Smotrich, who lives in a settlement in the occupied West Bank.
Smotrich, who had threatened to leave the government if it allowed aid into Gaza, was on the back foot a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized new humanitarian deliveries.
“If I’m still in the government despite everything, it’s probably because I have good reasons to believe positive things are about to happen,” the head of the Religious Zionism Party said.
Smotrich evoked the 2005 withdrawal in which Israel evacuated 8,000 settlers and its soldiers from the Gaza Strip.
“Who could have thought 20 years ago that Gaza would be like it is now?” he asked the audience, before suggesting that conditions in the territory now favored a return of Israeli settlers.
During a meeting at the Israeli parliament last week, elected officials and ministers were presented with a plan for the construction of new settlements.
“This is doable and realistic. I’m very optimistic. Conquering Gaza and settling it as an integral part of the State of Israel,” Smotrich said at the time.
Fellow far-right minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf echoed his comment. “This is the price that the terrorists must pay, and God willing, as soon as possible,” he said.
Several Israeli far-right groups will march Wednesday under the slogan “20 years later, we’re coming back to the Gaza Strip.”
Gaza’s Hamas government reacted angrily to Smotrich’s remarks, calling them “an explicit threat to continue the crimes of genocide and forced displacement against our people.”


Israeli public figures urge ‘crippling sanctions’ on their country amid Gaza famine

Updated 29 July 2025
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Israeli public figures urge ‘crippling sanctions’ on their country amid Gaza famine

  • Group of 31 signatories to letter includes academics, artists and public intellectuals
  • Appeal follows mounting international condemnation of Israel’s conduct in the strip

LONDON: High-profile Israeli public figures have called for “crippling sanctions” to be launched against Israel by the international community to avert further disaster in Gaza.

The appeal came in a letter to The Guardian by a group of 31 signatories, including academics, artists and public intellectuals.

The letter was signed by Academy Award recipient Yuval Abraham; former Attorney General of Israel Michael Ben-Yair; former Parliament Speaker Avraham Burg; and winners of the Israel Prize, the country’s top cultural award, among others.

Israel is “starving the people of Gaza to death and contemplating the forced removal of millions of Palestinians from the strip,” the letter says.

Its signatories are esteemed figures in journalism, science, academia and more, representing a significant shift in Israeli public life, as more prominent figures begin to criticize the war in Gaza.

The letter’s endorsement of severe international sanctions against Israel is also taboo; politicians in the country have called for the targeting of those who promote such measures.

Israel’s war in Gaza, which is reaching the two-year mark, is also generating further public angst and criticism of the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The wider Jewish diaspora is engaged in renewed debate over the trajectory and morality of the war.

This week, two of Israel’s top human rights groups, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, published reports that described their country’s actions in Gaza as “genocidal.”

Tuesday’s letter says: “The international community must impose crippling sanctions on Israel until it ends this brutal campaign and implements a permanent ceasefire.

“No one should be unaffected by the pervasive hunger experienced by thousands of Gazans. No one should spend the bulk of their time arguing technical definitions between starvation and pervasive hunger.

“The situation is dire, and it is deadly. Nor should we accept arguments that because Hamas is the primary reason many Gazans are either starving or on the verge of starving, that the Jewish state is not also culpable in this human disaster. The primary moral response must begin with anguished hearts in the face of such a large-scale human tragedy.

“Blocking food, water, medicine, and power — especially for children — is indefensible,” it said. “Let us not allow our grief to harden into indifference, nor our love for Israel to blind us to the cries of the vulnerable. Let us rise to the moral challenge of this moment.”

Earlier this month, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in comments to The Guardian, condemned his country’s planned “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza as a concentration camp.

Forcing Palestinians inside the zone from the rest of the enclave would amount to ethnic cleansing, he added.

Netanyahu and his government continue to deny the existence of famine in Gaza, or any potential Israeli links to the disaster unfolding in the territory.