Forced evacuations in Gaza jeopardize hundreds of patients' lives: WHO chief

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) — Mandatory evacuations in Gaza endanger the lives of hundreds of patients, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday.

"Forced evacuation in these circumstances would put the lives of hundreds of patients in a life-threatening situation," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing in Geneva, noting that 23 hospitals have been ordered to evacuate in Gaza city and northern Gaza.

"Moving a baby on life support would be hazardous in a high-income country. Doing so in Gaza would gravely endanger a child whose life has only just begun, and who knows nothing of this conflict, nor is responsible for it," Tedros said.

Stressing that demanding such evacuations put not only patients but also health workers in an "impossible situation," he said that in "most cases, they have nowhere to go."

The lack of food, clean water, and fuel to power generators in the blockaded Palestinian enclave have affected the functionality of hospitals, he said, adding that "14 out of 36 hospitals in the Gaza strip are non-functional."

WHO will do everything it can to "ensure that all people in Gaza have access to life-saving health and humanitarian services," he said. "In the current situation this is almost impossible."

"At the very least, we need a humanitarian pause in the fighting, and ideally an end to the conflict," he urged. "We need unfettered access and safe passage agreed by both parties to ensure the security of access routes."

Regarding "attacks on health care facilities" in Gaza, the WHO chief said his organization confirmed 237 attacks on health care so far, including 218 in the occupied Palestinian territory and 19 in Israel.

"Attacks on health care are a violation of international humanitarian law," he said.

The Israeli army has expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Nearly 10,600 people have since been killed in the conflict, including at least 9,061 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.

Besides the large number of casualties and displacement, basic supplies are running low for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the Israeli siege.