Braving the ongoing war, ambulance drivers in Gaza have been working round the clock to save people's lives since the latest round of the Palestine-Israel conflict broke out on October 7, 2023.
The challenges they are facing are numerous and sometimes deadly: the road conditions are poor, the vehicles they drive are old and outdated and they are frequently targeted by the Israeli attacks.
This is indeed a genocidal war that doesn't differentiate between the old and the young, according to Motaz Ayoub, an ambulance driver in Gaza.
"One day, probably on Nov 18, I received an emergency call from the Al-Alami area, which was under attack. When I got to the scene, I saw it was my grandfather's house that had been targeted. My family had taken refuge there as our home had already been hit. My father and mother, my elder brother, his wife and child, my younger brother and my sisters were all hiding in the house. Everyone in my family was injured in this attack. No one came out unharmed," Ayoub said.
In addition, Ayoub said that the ambulances they drive are outdated and in a terrible condition, with some being over 20 years old. In addition, the ambulances are often targeted by the Israeli military.
"We did everything to repair these ambulances, but they have been targeted. Now, there are three ambulances that are out of service. The ambulance we are using is a 2001 model. The international norm is for an ambulance to be used for five years. So, one model in 2001 should have been retired around 2006 after being in service for five years. But we are dependent on this vehicle, as well as on very limited resources," he said.
"These challenges all come to the fore during our rescue efforts," he continued.
These challenges will impact their ability to save civilian lives. If they have no fuel and if an area is under attack, they can't reach the scene on time. So, major injuries become serious, and severe injuries become fatal, he explained.
He noted that most of the mechanics from the north and Gaza City have moved south. The serious lack of mechanics and repair workshops is another major problem. The repair workshops have been attacked. Most of the repair workshops in the Gaza Strip, especially those in Gaza City, have been targeted.
Ambulance drivers in Gaza brave war to work round clock to save people's lives
China has been playing a key role in bringing a sense of stability to the world and continuing to promote globalization against a turbulent international backdrop, according to a British scholar as he gave his assessment of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) which lays out the country's development vision for the years ahead.
Renowned British scholar Martin Jacques, a former senior research fellow in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge, shared his take on the recently approved outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, a key blueprint which maps out China's policy priorities through to the end of the decade.
The plan notes that China advocates practicing true multilateralism, upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
It says China will also seek to expand its global partnership network and guide the international order toward a more fair and just direction.
Despite current geopolitical tensions, Jacques says China is responding to a turbulent world full of uncertainties in a calm and rational manner.
"We are living in dangerous times, unpredictable times, and I think China has found a way in this new, difficult era, in the big power relationship [with the United States], to handle it in a calm way, not rise to the bait, and seek to, as far as possible, keep the relationship on a relatively even keel," he said.
China has also pledged to commit to openness and cooperation against the rise of unilateralism and protectionism, and has vowed to share opportunities and pursue common development with all countries.
Noting the wave of anti-free trade sentiment and protectionist policies which have emerged in the United States, particularly under the administrations of U.S. President Donald Trump, Jacques says that globalization will remain the prevailing trend and believes China has been able to find successful approaches to advance international cooperation amid the current challenges.
"I think globalization is the long-term historic trend. But that doesn't mean globalization is always in good health, it doesn't mean that it doesn't have setbacks. [We are] now in a period where globalization first of all, has been slowed and in key respects reversed, but at the same time we've seen it taking new forms. The Belt and Road Initiative is a very important form of globalization, and it's been very successful," he said.
China striving for stability against unpredictable int'l backdrop: British scholar
