Israeli soldier dies from infection with fungus found in Gaza sewage

Bombed relentlessly for more than 80 days, the Palestinian enclave is seeing an increase in diseases such that Israeli soldiers are also exposed.

On site, the testimonies are straightforward: the humanitarian situation in Gaza is deteriorating day by day. While the Israeli army still focuses its operations on the center of the Gaza Strip despite a critical situation for civilians, calls for a ceasefire, like that of Emmanuel Macron to Benjamin Netanyahu, remain unanswered .

In addition to the incessant return trips of ambulances to hospitals, in Gaza, diseases are also increasing. So much so that even Israeli soldiers are now exposed to it. One of them, wounded in combat, was fatally infected by a fungus present in the wastewater of the Palestinian enclave, we learned on Wednesday December 27.

Fusarium or aspergillus is one of the two fungi which undoubtedly killed this soldier, according to Professor Cyrille Cohen. He heads the immunotherapy laboratory at Bar-Ilan University, near Tel Aviv. “We speak of an infection when contact with sewage, sewage or mud near sewage. Sometimes with open wounds, they can become infected, describes the specialist. At this time, this fungus can enter and multiply“.

“This fungus can destroy both the respiratory tract and various organs and also neutralize the immune system.”

Cyrille Cohen

at franceinfo

Gaza ‘in great danger’

The infection, non-contagious, is treatable: a treatment exists, but in the case of this seriously injured soldier, it did not work. “Not only did the treatments not work, we also tried certain experimental treatments and unfortunately, there was no possibility of saving the life of this soldier who was also seriously injured”, explains Professor Cyrille Cohen. Around ten other soldiers are said to be suffering from the same infection, but the Israeli army is making no comments at this time. It is in fact out of the question to create psychosis among the families of Israeli soldiers, whose intervention is increasingly criticized within society.

However, if a fungus sickens Israeli soldiers in Gaza, it must undoubtedly also infect Palestinians, for whom access to care has become very difficult, if not impossible, since the start of the war. The head of the WHO also sounded the alert on Wednesday: the population of Gaza is in “great danger”. 21 of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are no longer functioning at all, the famine is spreading and children are suffering a little more every day from the ills of war: injuries, hunger and impossible access to drinking water in certain localities.