Israel's siege of northern Gaza endangers 75,000 lives : WHO

Israel's over 80-day siege of northern Gaza endangers the lives of the 75,000 Palestinians still in the area, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Saturday.

The UN agency's statement came after Israel's attack on the Kamal Adwan Hospital resulted in the loss of the last fully functioning medical facility in northern Gaza.

Nearly 50 Palestinians were killed Thursday in an Israeli airstrike on a building opposite the headquarters of Kamal Adwan Hospital, including three medical staff and workers.

"WHO is appalled by yesterday's raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital, which put the last major health facility in North Gaza out of service," it said.

"Initial reports indicate that some areas of the hospital were burnt and severely damaged during the raid, including the laboratory, surgical unit, engineering and maintenance department, operations theatre, and the medical store."

It added: "Earlier in the day, twelve patients and a female health staff were reportedly forced to evacuate to destroyed and non-functional Indonesian Hospital where it is not possible to provide any care, while the majority of the staff, stable patients and companions were moved to a nearby location."

Additionally, reports indicate that some individuals were stripped of their clothes and forced to walk toward southern Gaza, the statement read.

Over the past two months, the area surrounding the hospital has remained "highly volatile," with attacks on both the hospitals and healthcare workers occurring almost daily, it added.

"An urgent WHO mission to Indonesian Hospital is being planned for tomorrow to safely move patients to southern Gaza for continued care."

The raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital follows a series of escalating restrictions on access and repeated attacks, said the statement, adding that since early October 2024, the WHO has verified at least 50 attacks on healthcare facilities, either on or near the hospital.

As healthcare facilities are supposed to be off limits to hostilities, such attacks potentially violate the rules of war.

The WHO has also called for urgent efforts to ensure that hospitals in northern Gaza are supported and able to function again.

Israel's offensive has killed nearly 45,500 people in Gaza since a cross-border Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, reducing most of the enclave to rubble.

Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Additionally, Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.