International
A reputed surgeon from Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital dies in an Israeli prison
Adnan al Barash, a reputed 50-year-old surgeon from the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City, has died this Thursday in an Israeli prison, bringing the deaths of the enclave’s health sector to 496 since October 7, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health in a statement.
“The murder of Dr. al Barash will not be the last crime to come to light and also the way they treat prisoners in prisons, especially those arrested in the Gaza Strip,” they denounce in the press release.
This Palestinian doctor, who was head of the Orthopedics department of the Al Shifa medical complex, now inoperative after the siege of Israeli troops, was arrested last December, while treating patients in another hospital in northern Gaza.
Hamas, in a statement, also wanted to denounce the death of this doctor who was “punished simply for fulfilling his humanitarian obligations” and adds that his loss confirms “the continuous war crimes perpetrated against the Palestinian people” by the Israeli Army.
“I am extremely alarmed by the information of Dr. Adnan’s death. How many more lives will have to be eliminated before UN member states, especially those that demonstrate genuine concern for human rights worldwide, act to protect the Palestinians?” The UN rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, lamented in her X account.
Precisely on Thursday, the Israeli authorities refused to return the body of another prisoner, Palestinian intellectual Walid Daqqa, who died of cancer on April 7 after 38 years in prison, according to the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, reported today.
The Gazaz Ministry also asked the international community and health agencies to protect prisoners from the mistreatment they suffer in Israeli prisons. And especially, the Palestinians who are being arrested in Gaza.
It is estimated that there are at least 9,300 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, including 3,600 in “administrative detention” without charges or trial, according to data from the human rights group Adalah.
Hamas hopes to send a delegation to Cairo “as soon as possible” to resume negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from the Palestinian Islamist group.
The head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, held a call on Thursday with the head of Egyptian Intelligence, Abás Kamel, in which he thanked him for the role of the North African country as a mediator between the Palestinian group and Israel.
“The head of the movement thanked Egypt for the role and emphasized the positive spirit of the movement to study the ceasefire proposal,” the statement reads.
Haniyeh confirmed that a negotiating delegation will soon travel to the Egyptian capital to “complete the current discussions with the aim of maturing an agreement that meets the demands of our people and that stops the aggression.”
The political leader of Hamas then held a similar call with the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in which he thanked him for the mediating role of the Arab country, and pledged to reach an agreement under the auspices of Qatar and Egypt.
More than a dozen Palestinians died this morning in Israeli artillery and air strikes in northern and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, with intense bombings in the Nuseirat refugee camp, 209 days of war.
At least six Gazats died last night in an Israeli bombing of the city of Al Zahraa, north of the Nuseirat camp in the center of the Gaza Strip, while rescue teams found three other lifeless bodies after bombings in the northwest of the camp, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported on Thursday.
In the southern area of Jan Yunis, a Gazan died and an undetermined number of injuries were recorded in an Israeli bombing in the area of Qaa al Qurain, southeast of this devastated city after four months of Israeli land attacks.
“The areas of Bani Suhaila, Abasan and Khuzaa, to the east of the city, also suffered intense bombing by Israeli fighter planes,” Wafa said, without specifying victims.
The latest attacks increased the death toll to 34,596 after 209 days of war.
“The Israeli occupation committed 3 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, causing 28 martyrs and 51 injured during the last 24 hours,” the Gaza Ministry of Health of the Government of Hamas reported on Thursday, referring to the victims recorded in hospitals.
The Ministry also said that the total number of injured reached 77,816 people, and that “several victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, (but that) the ambulance and civil defense teams cannot reach them.”
On Thursday, the Israeli Army recovered the remains of another of the missiles from Iran’s attack on April 13, which was intercepted in the area of Nahal Ye’elim, near the southern city of Arad, according to a military statement.
“The debris was cleaned of hazardous materials and evacuated by means of a crane by the troops, along with the firefighters and rescue teams,” the Army explained.
Israel has only been able to recover so far some of the almost 120 ballistic missiles that Tehran launched on the night of Saturday, April 13. Most of these projectiles were intercepted in their neighboring countries, such as Jordan.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
International
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Cuba is facing a severe dengue and chikungunya epidemic that has already claimed at least 44 lives, including 29 minors, according to the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap). The outbreak—now considered out of control—has expanded across the entire country amid a critical shortage of resources to confront the emergency.
Authorities report more than 42,000 chikungunya infections and at least 26,000 dengue cases, though they acknowledge significant underreporting as many patients avoid seeking care in health centers where medicines, supplies, and medical personnel are scarce. The first cluster was detected in July in the city of Matanzas, but the government did not officially use the term “epidemic” until November 12.
Chikungunya—virtually unknown on the island until this year—causes high fever, rashes, fatigue, and severe joint pain that can last for months, leaving thousands temporarily incapacitated. Dengue, endemic to the region, triggers fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and, in severe cases, internal bleeding. Cuba currently has no vaccines available for either virus.
Minsap reports that of the 44 deaths recorded so far, 28 were caused by chikungunya and 16 by dengue.
The health crisis unfolds amid deep economic deterioration, marked by the absence of fumigation campaigns, uncollected garbage, and shortages of medical supplies—conditions that have fueled the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary vector for both diseases. “The healthcare system is overwhelmed,” non-official medical sources acknowledge.
Beyond the health impact, the epidemic is heavily disrupting economic and family life. The intense joint pain caused by chikungunya has led to widespread work absences, while hospital overcrowding has forced relatives to leave their jobs to care for the sick. In November, authorities launched a clinical trial using the Cuban drug Jusvinza to reduce joint pain, though results have not yet been released.
International
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
Violence in Ecuador is expected to reach historic levels by the end of 2025, with the country set to record the highest homicide rate in Latin America for the third consecutive year, according to a report released Thursday by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). The organization warns that criminal activity is not only persisting but could worsen in 2026.
Official figures show 7,553 homicides recorded through October, surpassing the 7,063 registered throughout all of 2024. ACLED estimates that 71% of the population was exposed to violent incidents this year, despite President Daniel Noboa’s declaration of an “internal armed conflict” in an attempt to confront powerful criminal groups.
According to the report, several factors are driving the deterioration of security: a territorial war between Los Chonerosand Los Lobos, the two most influential criminal organizations in the country; the fragmentation of other groups after the fall of their leaders; and Ecuador’s expanding role as a strategic hub for regional drug trafficking.
Since 2021, violence has forced the internal displacement of around 132,000 people, while more than 400,000 Ecuadorians — equivalent to 2% of the population — have left the country. Between January and November alone, violent deaths rose 42%, fueled by prison massacres and clashes between rival gangs.
The report warns that conditions may deteriorate further. Ecuador has been added to ACLED’s 2026 Conflict Watchlist, which highlights regions at risk of escalating violence. The expansion of Colombian armed groups such as FARC dissidents and the ELN, state weakness, and a potential rerouting of drug trafficking corridors from the Caribbean to the Pacific intensify the threat.
“The president is facing a wave of violence that shows no signs of easing,” the report concludes.
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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