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SvennoJ on 02 October 2025
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WHO chief laments killing of MSF staffer in Israeli attack in Gaza

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has mourned the “horrifying loss” of Omar Hayek, a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) staff member killed in an Israeli attack in Gaza earlier today.

As we reported earlier, MSF said Hayek and a handful of other medical workers were attacked while waiting to take a bus to a field hospital in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.

The organisation said they were wearing MSF vests, clearly identifying them as medical workers. In addition to Hayek’s killing, four others were also seriously injured in the attack.

“Another horrifying loss of an MSF colleague in Gaza. Omar Hayek was an occupational therapist. Other colleagues injured include a physiotherapist, and an orthopaedic surgeon among others,” Tedros said in a social media post, without mentioning Israel by name.

“I mention their professions because I spoke earlier today of the urgent need for this specialised care for the thousands of injured Gazans. Every loss of a medical worker is a tragedy for their families, colleagues, and the people they will never be able to help,” the WHO chief said.

“Over the past two years, WHO has verified over 1700 attacks on health care in Gaza and the West Bank, resulting in more than 1000 deaths and 1800 injuries.”




Advocacy group urges Canada to condemn Israel’s flotilla interception

The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council is urging Foreign Minister Anita Anand to reject Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which had some Canadian citizens on board.

“The interception in Gaza’s territorial waters constitutes a violation of international law and endangers civilians,” the advocacy group said in a post on X.

It added that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government “has a duty to protect its citizens, uphold international law, and defend the rights and safety of Palestinians in Gaza, a territory it recently recognized as a sovereign state”.

Canada is among several countries, including the UK and France, that recently recognised a Palestinian state.



Geneva police spray protesters with tear gas as thousands rally for flotilla

Police in Geneva have fired pepper spray and water cannon at protesters rallying in support of the flotilla, the Reuters news agency is reporting, citing witnesses.

Photos shared with Reuters showed plumes of white smoke, which witnesses identified as tear gas, wafting over a street crammed with protesters, the news agency said. A vehicle also sprayed water on the protest’s frontline.

“We were retreating and suddenly got heavily gassed,” one witness told Reuters, adding they were experiencing burning eyes and had difficulty breathing.

Approximately 3,000 protesters took to the streets of the Swiss city, some of whom were “throwing things” and spraying graffiti, police spokesperson Alexandre Brahier told the agency. “We had to use control measures including tear gas and water cannons,” he added.

Protesters have gathered in cities around the world to show support for the flotilla, including in Istanbul, Rome, London, Athens, Buenos Aires and Bogota.