GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) chief has issued a stark warning regarding the dire situation in northern Gaza, where “intensive military operations” are taking place around and within healthcare facilities.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the conditions as “catastrophic,” highlighting critical shortages of medical supplies and severely limited access to life-saving care.
Tedros specifically pointed to Kamal Adwan Hospital, the last functioning medical facility in northern Gaza, which reportedly was stormed by Israeli forces on Friday.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, this raid led to the deaths of two children and the detention of hundreds of staff, patients, and displaced individuals.
While the Israeli military acknowledged operations near Kamal Adwan, they claimed not to be aware of any live fire targeting the hospital. WHO stated that contact with its staff at the hospital was temporarily lost amid the chaos, but they were later informed by the Gaza health ministry that the siege had ended, albeit at a severe cost.
Tedros reported that three health workers were injured in the assault and that dozens of others were detained. Following the detention of 44 male staff members, only female staff, the hospital director, and one male doctor were left to care for nearly 200 patients in urgent need of medical attention.
He condemned the damage to medical facilities and supplies during the siege, stating that the entire health system in Gaza has been under attack for over a year.
Emphasizing the need for the protection of healthcare facilities, Tedros stressed that any attack on such sites constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law.
He called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire as the only way to safeguard Gaza’s collapsing healthcare system.
