The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that Israel’s ground offensive in northern Gaza has pushed hospitals to the “brink of collapse,” with escalating violence preventing the delivery of lifesaving supplies.
“The military incursion and evacuation orders in northern Gaza are driving new waves of displacement, forcing traumatised families into an ever-shrinking area unfit for human dignity,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Thursday, calling for an end to “inhumane conditions.”
Soaring malnutrition
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has also raised alarm over soaring child malnutrition in Gaza, reporting that more than 10,000 children in Gaza City alone need urgent treatment. Across the Strip, 26,000 children require care for acute malnutrition, UNICEF spokeswoman Tess Ingram told a UN briefing in Geneva.
“The forced and massive displacement of families from Gaza City is a deadly threat to the most vulnerable,” she said, warning of worsening conditions.
Diplomatic tensions continue to rise
Meanwhile, Israel has urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to withdraw a proposal to curb trade ties as pressure to end the war mounts. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar insisted sanctions “will not work.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Israel remained determined to continue its military campaign in Gaza and was “not open to a serious negotiation for a ceasefire,” warning of “dramatic consequences.”
The Israeli ground assault, launched Tuesday, has intensified already dire humanitarian conditions, leaving hospitals overwhelmed and children increasingly at risk of hunger and disease.
You must be logged in to post a comment.