Latest news with #Yabiladi
Ya Biladi
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
FAR drone strikes Polisario vehicle near Sand Wall
A Royal Armed Forces (FAR) drone struck a Polisario vehicle on Thursday, June 19. «The operation took place in the Karzaze region, near Mijek, east of the Sand Wall. The outcome of the strike remains unknown for now», a source familiar with the matter told Yabiladi. According to the same source, the Polisario elements had first crossed into Mauritanian territory clandestinely, intending to carry out an operation against Moroccan positions, before being targeted by the FAR drone. However, a Polisario-affiliated media outlet offered a different version of events, claiming the Moroccan drone targeted a «civilian vehicle» in the same area. It's worth noting that FAR drones had already targeted Polisario vehicles in Karzaze on May 29. This latest operation comes just 24 hours after Brahim Ghali presided over the graduation ceremony of a new cohort of the Front's armed militias on Wednesday.
Ya Biladi
2 days ago
- Health
- Ya Biladi
«It's not a war, it's a genocide» : Moroccan doctor returns from Gaza with harrowing testimony
Dr. Abdelkbir Hassini, an anesthesiologist and resuscitation specialist at Hassan II Provincial Hospital in Khouribga (from 1990 to 2016), has devoted nearly thirty-five years to cases requiring his expertise. True to the spirit of the Hippocratic Oath, he took part in an international humanitarian mission in the Gaza Strip from May 29 to June 12, 2025, supporting Palestinian medical staff on the ground. Through the Beverly Hills–based Rahma NGO, and as a member of the Moroccan coordination of Doctors for Palestine, Dr. Hassini spent fifteen days in Khan Younis alongside specialists from Australia, Germany, the UK, and the United States. «With the World Health Organization (WHO), this organization is one of the few currently capable of organizing international humanitarian missions in the Gaza Strip. Despite restrictions on supplies, we were able to bring some medical provisions, equipment, and vital components for our operations. Quantities had to be limited to avoid potential seizures, but we managed to bring in a few batches», Dr. Hassini explains. Having just returned to Morocco, Dr. Hassini, currently working in the private sector, has already resumed his duties, carrying the heavy weight of an intense mission amid the total siege of Gaza. Between anesthesia and resuscitation interventions, he shared with Yabiladi the devastating effects of nearly three years of Israeli military offensives in the region, where «the medical infrastructure is practically out of service». «My assignment reflects a situation words cannot fully capture. Initially, I was supposed to join Nasser Hospital, Gaza's largest remaining referral hospital. But due to the lack of resources on site to carry out medical procedures in our specialties, we were reassigned to Al Amal Hospital. The entire hospital infrastructure in northern Gaza is now unable to accommodate and care for the wounded needing resuscitation, including the European Hospital in Khan Younis», he says. An «exemplary» organization amid a «catastrophic situation» On the ground, «the situation is catastrophic», and even Al Amal Hospital is at risk of being shut down, especially as the ceasefire no longer holds despite numerous UN warnings to Israel. During Dr. Hassini's mission, the WHO also warned that Gaza's health system was collapsing. «There are no longer any operational hospitals in northern Gaza. Nasser and Al Amal are the last two functioning public hospitals in Khan Younis, where most of the population now lives. Without these facilities, essential health services can no longer be provided», the organization cautioned. Speaking to Yabiladi, Dr. Hassini recounted his experience in real time: «Nearly three days into our mission, the director of Al Amal Hospital informed us that the facility was in what the occupation calls an 'evacuation zone,' putting patients and staff at risk. After some hesitation, our NGO reassured us, and we continued operating on site». The permanent medical team and volunteer humanitarians were vital, as the hospital handles all severe injuries that cannot be treated elsewhere. «Severe injuries number in the dozens daily, all received by a single facility with fully mobilized healthcare staff and resuscitation beds at capacity», says Dr. Hassini. «We were able to provide necessary care to patients, especially thanks to the complementary expertise among specialists on site and the diverse mission team I was part of emergency doctors, anesthesiologists, trauma surgeons, and ophthalmologists. We organized a care circuit covering first aid, intensive care, and complex surgeries requiring large quantities of blood. In this regard, I must commend the high skill level of the Palestinian medical staff, who work under these conditions every day in an exemplary way». Describing the conditions, the doctor paints a picture of «inhumane and unimaginable situations, daily killings, and extreme cruelty that even the images from Gaza don't fully show». Among the cases that stayed with him, he recounts one that «illustrates the complex and multifaceted suffering of a single individual and family among the civilian population». «It was a young man who came to Al Amal Hospital carrying his severely injured daughter. The child needed immediate anesthesia and surgery. The father told us that his wife had been maimed in the same attack, and their son had been hit in the face. This reveals that beyond the many patients we see, there's an invisible face of cruelty, transfers impossible outside Gaza, uncounted dead, dismembered bodies, and injured people that families tally every day», he laments. Unjustifiable silence Amid this emergency response, Dr. Hassini praises «the organizational capacity of Palestinian colleagues, who manage to sustain stocks of supplies and medical equipment despite the health system being targeted by the occupation. This allowed us to provide the injured and patients with the necessary blood, pharmaceuticals, and pre-operative care». «When faced with such situations, it is our faith in life that prevails and motivates us as medical professionals. We have no choice but to treat all patients. The Palestinian population's attachment to life constantly reminded us of this, it is one of the greatest lessons from these missions. The citizens of Gaza count their dead and injured every day, yet their hope for a better tomorrow after all this genocide remains intact, and their morale grows stronger». In this context, Dr. Hassini insists, «It must be said: this is no longer a war, it is genocide». «I share the dismay and astonishment of my fellow humanitarian mission members», he adds. He also expresses his «total incomprehension at the unjustifiable silence of the international community, witnessing so much terror and unable to stop the massacre». Under such circumstances, the doctor reflects, «One returns deeply marked by what is happening on the ground, but also strengthened by the mental fortitude that is a tool of resistance for the Palestinian people, a force that makes us question our own everyday challenges and concerns».
Ya Biladi
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Spanish officer accused of exploiting Moroccan minors seeking asylum
The organization Don't Touch My Child revealed that a Spanish police officer exploited Moroccan migrants, including minors, in exchange for assistance with asylum procedures. The organization strongly condemned the acts, expressed full support for the victims, and affirmed its commitment to pursuing legal action in the case. The human rights organization Don't Touch My Child has strongly condemned what it described as «humiliating and unethical practices» involving a Spanish police officer. The condemnation comes after Spanish media revealed this week that the officer had been detained on charges of exploiting Moroccan migrants, including minors, in exchange for facilitating asylum applications or legal status adjustments. According to the organization, the officer, who worked in immigration centers in both Ceuta and the Canary Islands, held suspicious meetings in hotel rooms where he was staying. He allegedly targeted young Moroccans in vulnerable situations, offering help with their asylum procedures in exchange for sexual favors, gifts, or money. The Supreme Court in Madrid has since suspended him from duty for 90 days as a temporary disciplinary measure. Supporting the victims In a statement to Yabiladi, Taib Boucheiba, national coordinator for Don't Touch My Child, said: «The decision of the Spanish judiciary is not strict enough and does not match the gravity of the crime. The accused exploited minors in precarious situations, which constitutes human trafficking». He added, «We condemn this lenient decision». The organization denounced the acts as a violation of human dignity and migrants' rights, especially those of minors, and voiced deep concern over the lack of any formal criminal proceedings in a case of such ethical and humanitarian seriousness. Don't Touch My Child reaffirmed its full support for any victims wishing to come forward and seek justice, whether through national or international courts, stressing the need to protect migrant minors and uphold their human dignity. The organization also called for an urgent criminal investigation into the case, not merely an administrative sanction, and urged Spanish authorities to fulfill their legal and moral obligations to safeguard the rights of migrants, particularly Moroccan minors. In its conclusion, the organization stated that it is closely monitoring the case and will take all necessary steps to protect Moroccan children wherever they may be, particularly in reception and asylum centers. Boucheiba added that «this is not the first time Moroccan minors have suffered exploitation in Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands. What's different now is that this officer was caught». He explained that the officer allegedly offered to regularize the legal status of Moroccan minors by assisting them with asylum applications that falsely portrayed them as victims of persecution in Morocco. According to Boucheiba, the organization, with the help of supporters in Europe, has filed a lawsuit in Spain against the officer, and is urging Spanish civil society organizations to take such cases seriously and work to address them.
Ya Biladi
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Mauritanian army uncovers hidden Polisario missile stockpile aimed at Morocco
A Mauritanian army patrol has uncovered a significant stockpile of missiles that the Polisario had hidden on Mauritanian soil, reportedly intended for attacks on targets in Morocco. «There are about fifty Grad-type missiles, with a range of 25 to 40 km. These projectiles were used by Polisario armed militias in October and November 2023 against civilian targets in Es-Smara», a source close to the matter told Yabiladi. The Polisario's «commander of the 3rd military region» attempted to retrieve the missiles but was unsuccessful. The Mauritanian army rejected his request, just as President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani had refused, days earlier, the Polisario's appeals to reopen the Lebriga region. It is worth recalling that this same commander was part of the delegation sent to Nouakchott to persuade President El Ghazouani to lift the closure of the Lebriga region, a route the Polisario uses clandestinely to launch attacks on Moroccan positions east of the Sand Wall.
Ya Biladi
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Polisario protests La Vanguardia's report linking Sahrawis to Sahel terrorism
An article published by La Vanguardia linking Sahrawis from the Tindouf camps to the leadership of terrorist groups in the Sahel has sparked outrage from the Polisario Front. In a letter of protest to the Spanish newspaper, the group's representative in Spain condemned the analysis as «damaging to the image and reputation of the Sahrawi cause, as well as to the broad solidarity movement that supports it across Spain». Abdellah Arabi urged the paper to «correct its mistake», after it reported that Sahrawi youths born in the Tindouf camps, some of whom had taken part in the « Holidays in Peace » program, had gone on to join armed groups operating in the Sahel. According to a Moroccan source who spoke to Yabiladi, the article was a key item on the agenda during an emergency meeting of the Polisario's permanent General Secretariat, held on Sunday, June 9, at the Rabouni camp and chaired by Brahim Ghali. No official statement was issued following the meeting. This latest controversy comes just weeks after the Polisario sought to contain the fallout from statements by one of its so-called «ministers», who had called for attacks on tourists and investors in Western Sahara. At the time, the group's representative in Spain dismissed the remarks as «alleged statements attributed to a minister of the SADR», claiming they were part of a disinformation campaign in Moroccan media aimed at discrediting the Polisario, which it described as «the sole legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people».
