DayofPal— Italian medical professionals have raised serious doubts about Israel’s explanation for the death of 20-year-old Palestinian woman Marah Abu Zuhri, who was evacuated from Gaza for treatment but died less than 24 hours after arriving at Santa Chiara Hospital in Pisa.
Israeli authorities initially claimed that Marah died from severe leukemia and dismissed suggestions that her condition was worsened by malnutrition. However, Italian doctors say their examinations did not confirm a leukemia diagnosis.
According to La Nazione, Professor Sara Galimberti, director of Hematology at Santa Chiara Hospital, said Marah arrived in an extremely weakened state and had likely been bedridden for an extended period.
“We started therapy for leukemia that night,” Galimberti said. “When test results arrived, we stopped treatment because leukemia was not confirmed.” She added that doctors administered high-calorie nutrition and blood transfusions, but Marah suffered acute respiratory failure followed by cardiac arrest.
Although no autopsy was performed in accordance with the family’s religious wishes, the hospital said this decision does not alter the clinical facts. Her body currently remains at the Legal Medicine department, where authorities may still order a forensic autopsy.
Italian specialists now believe long-term malnutrition likely contributed to Marah’s death.
Her case has drawn renewed attention to the deteriorating healthcare situation in Gaza. In March, the Israeli military bombed the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only cancer treatment facility in Gaza, as well as a nearby medical school. Video footage shows the destruction caused by the explosions.
Due to Israel’s ongoing siege, medical supplies remain blocked from entering Gaza. Hospitals and clinics face dire shortages, and healthcare workers operate under constant threats.
Medical professionals warn that Gaza’s entire health system is on the brink of collapse if the attacks and blockade persist.
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