The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed serious concern about the worsening situation in the hospital in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, stressing the urgent need for access to patients and medical facilities.
“Gaza’s Nasser Hospital is no longer operational, following a week-long siege followed by a sustained attack,” wrote Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Platform X.
Despite the joint efforts of the WHO team and its partners, access to the hospital to assess patients and critical medical needs was denied, he said.
“Yesterday and the day before yesterday, the WHO team was not allowed to enter the hospital to assess the condition of patients and critical medical needs, despite reaching the hospital complex to deliver fuel together with partners,” Tedros said.
He pointed out that almost 200 patients are still in the hospital, and that at least 20 need to be urgently transferred to other health institutions.
“The price of the delay will be paid by the lives of the patients. Access to patients and the hospital should be made easier,” he said.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Friday that at least five patients died in a hospital due to a power outage after the Israeli army stormed the facility.
Khan Younis has witnessed a massive Israeli ground invasion since January 22, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee under heavy Israeli bombardment.
Since the beginning of the military offensive for the genocide accused by Israel on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 28,858 Palestinians have been killed, while the number of injured is 68,677.
On January 26, following a genocide lawsuit filed by the Republic of South Africa, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel must refrain from any actions related to the killing, attacks and destruction of the residents of the Gaza Strip and take all measures to prevent genocide.
According to the United Nations, due to the Israeli offensive, 85 percent of the population of the Gaza Strip has been internally displaced and faces an acute shortage of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed., AA writes.
