Israel's Hadassah Hospital in Negotiations to Open in Dubai

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed signing the normalisation agreement in Washington, DC on 15 September (AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed signing the normalisation agreement in Washington, DC on 15 September (AFP)
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Israel's Hadassah Hospital in Negotiations to Open in Dubai

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed signing the normalisation agreement in Washington, DC on 15 September (AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed signing the normalisation agreement in Washington, DC on 15 September (AFP)

Israel’s Hadassah Medical Center, in West Jerusalem, is in talks with UAE officials to open a hospital in Dubai, announced the hospital’s head.

Political sources said that the director of the Hadassah Hospital, Zeev Rotstein, held several meetings with the UAE officials during his visit to Dubai last week, noting there is a desire for cooperation and exchange of experiences between the medical experts.

Rotstein hailed the offer to build a hospital in Dubai, but stressed negotiations were still at an early stage, describing it as “a revolution — to establish Hadassah Hospital as a medical power in the United Arab Emirates.”

He indicated that he would form a team to study the details of the proposal and provide suggestions on their implementation, including the exchange of doctors and researchers between Dubai and Jerusalem.

The Hadassah hospital is affiliated with the Hadassah organization, and is known as one of Israel’s best hospitals.

However, in recent years the medical center has been facing financial troubles, which were heightened during the coronavirus pandemic.

The hospital wrote a letter to the Israeli Finance and Health ministries on behalf of public hospitals, announcing there was a financial crisis in all public medical facilities, including Hadassah.

Meanwhile, sources in the Israeli Foreign Ministry reported that hundreds of Israeli businessmen and journalists have been in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, since the peace treaty was signed in mid-last month, except for politicians.

Although several deals, including political agreements, have been signed, no Israeli minister has entered the UAE, following a ban from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu informed the ministers who requested approval for their travel in order to advance relations, that he wants to be the first official to visit the UAE.

The directive came after several ministers showed interest in traveling to Abu Dhabi following the normalization deal, reported the Walla news site, citing three political resources. However, Netanyahu used his veto power and requested that such visiting programs be suspended until further notice.

Two weeks ago, Netanyahu and UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to meet in the near future.

The conversation was the first between the two since the agreement to normalize ties between the states was announced on August 13, and they agreed to meet “soon.”



Gaza's Health Ministry Says the Palestinian Death Toll from the War Has Surpassed 46,000

People search the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli strike on the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on January 8, 2025 as the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement continues. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
People search the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli strike on the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on January 8, 2025 as the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement continues. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
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Gaza's Health Ministry Says the Palestinian Death Toll from the War Has Surpassed 46,000

People search the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli strike on the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on January 8, 2025 as the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement continues. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
People search the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli strike on the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on January 8, 2025 as the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement continues. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)

More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza's Health Ministry said Thursday, as the conflict raged into a 16th month with no end in sight.
The ministry said a total of 46,006 Palestinians have been killed and 109,378 wounded. It has said women and children make up more than half the fatalities, but does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians, said The Associated Press.
The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. It says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because the militants operate in residential areas. Israel has also repeatedly struck what it claims are militants hiding in shelters and hospitals, often killing women and children.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza. Israeli authorities believe at least a third of them were killed in the initial attack or have died in captivity.
The war has flattened large areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its 2.3 million people, with many forced to flee multiple times. Hundreds of thousands are packed into sprawling tent camps along the coast with limited access to food and other essentials.
In recent weeks, Israel and Hamas have appeared to inch closer to an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. But the indirect talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt have repeatedly stalled over the past year, and major obstacles remain.