Gaza: The World Health Organization (WHO) called Thursday for the protection of Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Amal Hospital in the Gaza Strip, which have come under attack from Israeli forces.
According to Anadolu Agency, WHO has urged urgent protection for these critical healthcare facilities to ensure they remain accessible, functional, and safe from hostilities. The organization emphasized that patients seeking refuge and care to save their lives should not face the risk of losing them while trying to reach hospitals. The WHO stressed that hospitals must never be militarized or targeted.
The health system in Gaza is on the brink of collapse, with Nasser Medical Complex, described as 'the most important referral hospital left in Gaza,' and Al-Amal Hospital facing the danger of shutting down. Notably, there are currently no hospitals functioning in the north of Gaza. The WHO highlighted that Nasser and Al-Amal are the last two functioning public hospitals in Khan Younis, where most of the population resides. Losing these facilities would deprive people of access to critical health services.
Although Israel has not issued evacuation orders for these hospitals, they are located within or just outside the evacuation zone announced on June 2. Israeli authorities have notified the Health Ministry that roads leading to the hospitals will be blocked, severely hindering access for incoming patients and medical personnel. The WHO warned that if the situation further deteriorates, both hospitals are at high risk of becoming non-functional due to movement restrictions, insecurity, and the inability to resupply or transfer patients.
Currently, Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals are operating beyond their capacity, with patients suffering life-threatening injuries arriving for urgent treatment, despite a severe shortage of essential medicines and medical supplies. The situation is critical, with potential devastating consequences for patients requiring surgical procedures, intensive care, blood transfusions, cancer treatment, and dialysis services if these hospitals were to cease functioning.
The loss of the two hospitals would result in a reduction of 490 beds, decreasing the Gaza Strip's overall hospital bed availability to less than 1,400 beds, representing a 40% decrease from before the conflict began, for the entire population of 2 million people. The WHO condemned the relentless and systematic decimation of hospitals in Gaza, calling for an immediate end to such actions.
Despite extraordinary efforts by health workers, WHO, and partners over the past 20 months, relentless attacks, restricted aid, and limited access have severely crippled the healthcare system. The WHO called for the expedited and safe delivery of essential medicines and medical supplies into Gaza through all possible routes.