The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza is now minimally operational, due to exacerbated shortages of fuel, staff, and supplies. The WHO has also reported that all injured patients who cannot be relocated are currently “waiting to die”. The healthcare infrastructure in this part of Gaza is evidently reaching a point of unprecedented collapse.
The UN emphasized that the worsening of healthcare access amplifies the need for a ceasefire to put a halt to the ongoing human toll. The conflict situation, combined with electricity and fuel shortages, and telecommunication disruptions, have severely hampered the UN’s ability to provide meaningful humanitarian aid. This situation emerged days after the UN Security Council passed a resolution to enable immediate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian civilian population throughout Gaza.
However, the United States abstained from the vote, showing their preference for humanitarian pauses over a ceasefire. The US has expressed disappointment over the absence of explicit condemnation of Hamas in this regard.
The UN Health Agency noted that out of 36 health facilities, only nine are partially functional, with none left in functioning order in northern Gaza. The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) warns of a potential impending “catastrophic hunger and famine risk” in light of further disruptions to necessary supplies.
As reported by Al Jazeera, since the conflict began on October 7, the death toll has reached an estimated 20,360 Palestinians and 1,139 Israelis, with the majority of fatalities being children. For legal professionals, these unfolding events highlight the ever-increasing need for precise and proactive efforts to protect human rights in conditions of conflict.