January 23, 2026
Local
Local
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — Two foreign nationals have become the first individuals in Malaysia to be charged in court for littering under the newly enforced anti-littering law, according to a report by The Star.
GENEVA, June 27 — The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday that it had delivered its first shipment of medical aid to Gaza since March 2, but warned the delivery was merely “a drop in the ocean.”
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X that nine trucks carrying essential medical supplies, including 2,000 units of blood and 1,500 units of plasma, had entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel on Wednesday. The supplies will be distributed to key hospitals across the Palestinian territory in the coming days.
He noted that the delivery occurred “without any looting incident, despite the high-risk conditions along the route.”
The blood and plasma were delivered to the cold storage facility at Nasser Medical Complex for further distribution to hospitals facing severe shortages, amid a rising number of injuries, many linked to violence at food distribution sites.
Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza on March 2. It only began permitting limited food shipments in May, and this week marked the first time medical supplies were allowed in since then.
According to the WHO, only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain even minimally operational, with the rest completely out of service.
Tedros added that four more WHO trucks were still at the Kerem Shalom crossing, with additional deliveries en route.
“However, these medical supplies are only a drop in the ocean. Aid at scale is essential to save lives,” he stressed. “WHO calls for the immediate, unimpeded and sustained delivery of health aid into Gaza through all possible routes.”
Although Israel began easing the blockade in late May, aid distribution has been plagued by chaos and reports of Israeli forces opening fire on civilians gathering to receive rations.
On May 26, the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private initiative, began distributing food. However, major aid organizations and the United Nations have declined to collaborate with the GHF, citing concerns that it serves Israeli military interests and lacks transparency in its operations.
Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, launched in response to Hamas’ unprecedented attack in October 2023, continues to intensify. — AFP
