WHO Secretary-General Describes Gaza Situation as 'Beyond Catastrophe'

Tedros Adhanom, the Secretary-General of the World Health Organization, described the situation in the Gaza Strip as 'beyond catastrophe' during a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday, urging Israel to ease restrictions. In northern Gaza, Al-Awda Hospital has been besieged since Sunday, with 148 staff members, including managers, healthcare workers, cleaners, and volunteers, along with 22 patients and their companions, trapped inside. The WHO Secretary-General also noted that at Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the last two remaining hospitals in northern Gaza, providing medical services to patients has become increasingly difficult. Reuters reported that Israeli missiles hit the emergency department of this hospital, forcing staff to carry patients on beds and stretchers into the debris-filled streets. The Israeli army told Reuters that it has seen reports of this incident and that the source of the attack is 'under investigation.' Israel claims it operates in accordance with international law and special protections for hospitals, making every effort to avoid harming civilians. The WHO Secretary-General pointed out the ongoing attacks in Rafah city in southern Gaza and the rising casualties, stating that over 800,000 people have fled, yet hundreds of thousands remain. Tedros Adhanom added, 'The hospitals in Rafah were overflowing, and Al-Najjar Hospital had to close, leaving 220 fewer hospital beds for the injured and sick.' According to the WHO Secretary-General, currently, six hospitals and nine health centers have been affected, and access to more than 70 shelters to medical facilities has been cut off. He emphasized that without further humanitarian assistance to Gaza, they would not be able to continue saving lives in hospitals and urged Israel to reduce restrictions to facilitate aid delivery. Tedros Adhanom stated that the WHO and its partners have recently managed to deliver 'small amounts' of fuel to hospitals and stressed that ambulances would not be able to move without fuel, and life-saving services such as dialysis cannot continue. Meanwhile, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported that its distribution center and the World Food Program's warehouse in Rafah have become inaccessible. UNRWA also stated that its health centers have not received any medical supplies in the past ten days. The US Department of Defense announced that new alternative routes for delivering aid in Gaza have been established. The UN World Food Program stated that the new $320 million US dock project for sending aid to Gaza may fail unless Israel provides conditions for the safe operation of humanitarian groups. A spokesperson for the World Food Program told the Associated Press that none of the 11 aid trucks that left the newly constructed American dock were able to reach the warehouse as scheduled. The humanitarian dock's operations in Gaza have begun; the White House remains concerned about civilians in the strip.