GENEVA (Reuters) – The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday voiced concern about a reported raid at Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza after several days of siege and said the facility should be protected.
“I’m extremely worried about reports of a raid at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza after several days of siege,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, wrote on X.
“WHO urgently calls for the protection of all persons inside the hospital. WHO further calls for an immediate ceasefire and for sustained humanitarian access to health facilities across the Gaza Strip,” he wrote.
Tedros said the hospital, located in northern Gaza, an area largely deprived of humanitarian aid since the conflict broke out in October, was only minimally functional even prior to the siege due to shortages of water, fuel and supplies.
Citing the local Ministry of Health, Tedros said there were 65 patients including several needing intensive care and 45 medical staff at the hospital.
WHO said earlier on Tuesday that only 11 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals were partially functional, one in the north and 10 in the south of the enclave.
(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Franklin Paul and Leslie Adler)
