WHO Director-General: Situation in Northern Gaza is Catastrophic

Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the situation in northern Gaza is catastrophic as a result of the Israeli occupation forces' intensive military operations around and within healthcare facilities. In a post on his X account, the WHO Director-General said: "The situation in northern Gaza is catastrophic. Intensive military operations unfolding around and within healthcare facilities and a critical shortage of medical supplies, compounded by severely limited access, are depriving people of life saving care." Pointing to Kamal Adwan Hospital that was attacked by Israeli occupation forces yesterday, he said that 44 male staff members of the Hospital were detained, only female staff, the hospital director, and one male doctor are left to care for nearly 200 patients in desperate need of medical attention. Reports of the hospital facilities and medical supplies being damaged or destroyed during the siege are deplorable, he added. The whole health system in Gaza has been under attack for over a year, he said, adding WHO cannot stress loudly enough that hospitals must be shielded from conflict at all times. Any attack of healthcare facilities is a violation of international humanitarian law. Ghebreyesus emphasized that the only path to safeguarding what remains of Gaza's collapsing health care system is an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Source: Qatar News Agency