World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has expressed great concern over reports of airstrikes near a key health facility in the Middle East. Ghebreyesus stated on Friday that the WHO is “extremely disturbed” by reports of airstrikes near Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, the largest in the region.
These allegations followed a statement by the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza claiming that the hospital had been hit by Israeli Defense Force (IDF) airstrikes, resulting in at least one fatality and leaving numerous others trapped within the building. Corroborating this, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) also alleged that Israeli forces had targeted Gaza’s al-Quds hospital, resulting in one death and 28 injuries.
Ghebreyesus noted that the WHO has verified over 250 attacks on the healthcare sector in Gaza and the West Bank, including five attacks on five hospitals in one day in Gaza. He expressed particular distress at reports of airstrikes near hospitals, noting that in the past 48 hours, four hospitals had been incapacitated.
“Many health workers we were in contact with have been forced to leave the hospital in search of safety. Others report being unable to move due to grave insecurity. Many of the thousands sheltering at the hospital are forced to evacuate due to security risks, while many still remain there.”
The IDF denied these allegations. IDF Arabic Spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed the strike on Al-Shifa hospital was a result of a failed rocket launch, while the Head of the Coordination and Liaison Administration to Gaza, Coloniel Moshe Tetro, asserted “There is no shooting at the hospital and there is no siege. The East Side of the hospital remains open.”
These developments have occurred just days after the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the PRCS labelled IDF attacks on ambulances as war crimes. The situation remains tense as global observers and organizations keep a close watch on unfolding events.