Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday described a night of horror in Gaza, following Israeli airstrikes that reportedly killed at least 64 people, further straining the region’s already collapsed health system.
Speaking to journalists in Geneva, WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris highlighted the severe impact on Gaza’s medical infrastructure, particularly in the north, where the Indonesian Hospital has been reduced to “just a shell” after more than 19 months of conflict.
Despite attempts to restore health services, Harris said medical teams are operating under dire conditions. “They lack everything needed,” she said, referencing critical shortages in medical supplies and equipment.
Responding to allegations that aid is being diverted to Hamas, Harris stated, “In the health sector, we've not seen that. All we see is a desperate need at all times.” The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) supported this, pointing to strict monitoring systems.
OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke emphasized that even if aid diversion occurred, it would not justify halting humanitarian operations.
The humanitarian crisis continues to deepen. For more than 10 weeks, Israeli authorities have blocked the entry of food, fuel, and medical supplies into Gaza.
According to the UN, 9,000 truckloads of life-saving aid including food, medical kits, and essential household items are stockpiled and ready to enter.
Hospitals are critically overburdened, with 21 hospitals and four field facilities functioning beyond capacity.
Patients are being treated in corridors due to a lack of beds, significantly raising the risk of preventable deaths.
Since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, over 53,000 Palestinians have been killed. Thousands require urgent medical evacuation, yet only 255 patients have been transferred out since March 18.
A recent Israeli strike on the European General Hospital in Khan Younis destroyed buses designated for evacuations, further hindering patient transfers.
WHO and other UN agencies are urging the international community to pressure Israel to lift the blockade and protect civilians.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned Israeli actions, describing them as “tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”
He cited repeated hospital attacks and the denial of humanitarian aid as violations of international humanitarian law, and called for an immediate end to strikes on medical facilities and civilian targets.
As the conflict continues, Gaza faces a rapidly deteriorating public health emergency amid growing restrictions on humanitarian access.
