Italian doctors refute Israeli coverup of Palestinian woman's death

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
19 Aug 2025 12:15
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Italian doctors have rejected "Israel’s" claim that Palestinian Marah Abu Zuhri died of leukemia, stating instead that starvation in Gaza and prolonged malnutrition were the decisive factors.

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Palestinians mourn during a funeral for victims of Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on March 23, 2025. (AFP/Getty Images)

Italian doctors have dismissed claims by "Israel" that a young Palestinian woman died of leukemia, instead pointing to severe malnutrition caused by starvation in Gaza as the critical factor behind her death.

Marah Abu Zuhri, a 20-year-old Palestinian, was evacuated from Gaza on a humanitarian flight organized by the Italian government but died less than 24 hours after arriving at Santa Chiara Hospital in Pisa.

Israeli authorities insisted that Marah suffered from severe leukemia and rejected suggestions that starvation and malnutrition contributed to her death. However, Italian daily La Nazione reported that medical tests showed no signs of leukemia.

Professor Sara Galimberti, director of Hematology at Santa Chiara, confirmed that initial treatment for leukemia was stopped once results disproved the diagnosis. “We started therapy for leukemia that night. When test results arrived, we stopped treatment because leukemia was not confirmed,” she explained.

Doctors administered high-calorie nutrition and transfusions, but Marah’s body, already weakened by prolonged malnutrition, went into acute respiratory failure before suffering cardiac arrest.

Malnutrition identified as key factor in Palestinian woman’s death

Medical staff emphasized that prolonged malnutrition was almost certainly a decisive factor in her death. Marah’s family declined an autopsy due to religious beliefs, but hospital officials stated that medical evidence already indicated starvation as the primary cause of her rapid deterioration.

Her death underscores the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hunger-related fatalities have surged amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported on Monday that at least 263 people, including 112 children, have died from starvation and malnutrition in recent months. Officials warn the numbers are rising daily as "Israel" continues to block border crossings and prevent life-saving aid deliveries.

Doctors in Gaza estimate that 55,000 pregnant women are currently suffering from severe malnutrition, placing both mothers and newborns at high risk.

Rights groups have repeatedly documented how Israeli aggression on Gaza has devastated the enclave’s medical system, from airstrikes on hospitals to strict blockades preventing medicines and supplies from reaching patients. Patients in need of treatment abroad also face harsh restrictions.

Health experts caution that without immediate international intervention, Gaza’s hospitals could soon collapse entirely, leaving millions without essential care.

Marah’s death is one among many tragedies caused by the worsening famine in Gaza. Since the launch of "Israel’s" war in October 2023, over 62,004 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed. The growing starvation crisis reflects the broader humanitarian catastrophe unfolding under the blockade and bombardment, making survival increasingly impossible for civilians in the besieged enclave.