WHO Demands Ceasefire to Protect Gaza Hospitals and Healthcare Access
The World Health Organization (WHO) has made an urgent plea for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza, focusing on the escalating attacks on hospitals and healthcare facilities. The WHO chief, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has demanded an end to these violent actions, emphasizing that hospitals have tragically turned into battlegrounds amidst the ongoing conflict.
Dr. Tedros called for an immediate ceasefire to allow unhindered access to medical care for the Palestinian population. He stressed the dire state of Gaza’s health system and the critical need for humanitarian aid. His appeal followed a series of attacks over the weekend, including a devastating strike on Al-Wafa hospital in Gaza City by Israeli forces, resulting in seven fatalities. The military justified the attack, claiming the hospital was being used as a command center by Hamas militants.
Additionally, the Kamal Adwan hospital, one of the last operational healthcare facilities in northern Gaza, faced a raid by Israeli forces. Patients and medical staff were detained during this operation, with Israeli officials reporting that 950 individuals were interrogated and 240 were identified as militants. Among those detained for questioning was the hospital’s director, Hussam Abu Safiya, who was accused of being a Hamas operative. This action rendered the hospital inoperable, leaving northern Gaza with only a single functioning medical center.
The worsening situation has forced countless residents to flee their homes. Beit Hanoun, once a vibrant community, is now nearly deserted as over 325,000 people have migrated southward under the threat of displacement. Humanitarian groups have described the region as being in a state of complete devastation, with the healthcare system on the brink of collapse.
The WHO has been working to provide emergency medical supplies despite the challenges. Supplies were delivered to the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, where seven patients remain with 15 caregivers and health workers, under dire conditions with no functional infrastructure. During a transfer of critically ill patients to Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Israeli forces detained four of these individuals, raising significant concerns over the rights and welfare of the injured.
The ongoing conflict has inflicted catastrophic consequences on Gaza’s civilian population. Over 45,500 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 108,000 wounded since the beginning of Israel’s military offensive, which followed a Hamas-led attack that resulted in over 1,150 Israeli deaths in October. Amid freezing winter conditions, Gaza’s displaced population—numbering 2.3 million—faces insurmountable hardships, with basic humanitarian needs going unmet. Many accuse Israel of deliberately obstructing aid deliveries, though Israeli authorities deny such claims, asserting their military actions target Hamas operatives.
Gaza’s officials and international human rights organizations have condemned the military campaign, labeling it a “surrender or starve” strategy aimed at depopulating the northern areas. In response, global leaders and humanitarian organizations have rallied behind the WHO’s call for a ceasefire. There is growing alarm over the devastating toll this conflict is exacting on human lives and the region’s infrastructure.
Dr. Tedros underscored the urgency of the situation, reiterating that humanitarian access and medical care are fundamental rights. As voices from around the world echo his call for an end to hostilities, the focus remains on providing immediate relief and ensuring a resolution to the escalating crisis in Gaza.
