——— WHO warns Israel’s 80-day Gaza siege threatens lives
——— Urges urgent action to restore healthcare in northern Gaza
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Israel’s over 80-day siege of northern Gaza is jeop-ardizing the lives of the remaining 75,000 Palestinians in the region.
This statement followed Israel’s recent attack on the Kamal Adwan Hospital, which resulted in the de-struction of the last fully operational medical facility in northern Gaza.
The Israeli airstrike on Thursday killed nearly 50 Palestinians, including three medical workers. WHO condemned the attack, stating that it severely damaged the hospital’s key facilities, including its labor-atory, surgical unit, and medical store.
The raid forced twelve patients and a female staff member to evacuate to the non-functional Indone-sian Hospital, which lacked the resources to provide proper care.
Reports also indicated that some individuals were stripped of their clothing and forced to walk toward southern Gaza.
The WHO highlighted that attacks on healthcare facilities and workers have become a daily occurrence, with over 50 verified attacks on medical sites since October 2024. The organization called for urgent efforts to restore healthcare services in northern Gaza, stressing that such attacks on hospitals may violate international humanitarian law.
The ongoing Israeli offensive has resulted in nearly 45,500 deaths in Gaza since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on charges of war crimes as Israel is also facing a genocide case at the Interna-tional Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
Earlier, At least 48 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, bringing the total number of deaths since October of last year to 45,484, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Saturday.
According to a ministry statement, approximately 108,090 people have also been injured during the ongoing genocidal attacks.
“Israeli forces killed 48 people and injured 52 others in two massacres of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.
“Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added. Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, 2023.
