UN Reports Israeli Strikes in Gaza Undermine Survival Mechanisms
Click to start listening
United Nations, Dec 31 (NationPress) The ongoing Israeli attacks on health care and emergency services have critically impaired humanitarian access, with assaults on civilians in Gaza dismantling vital means of survival, stated UN humanitarian officials.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued this alarming statement following the remarks by World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who reported that an Israeli raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza and the detention of its director, Hussam Abu Safiya, led to the hospital's closure, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
In a post on X, Ghebreyesus mentioned that critically ill patients were transferred to the non-operational Indonesian Hospital. The whereabouts of Safiya remain unknown, and the WHO Director-General has called for his immediate release.
“In the midst of the chaos in northern Gaza, WHO and partners managed to deliver essential medical and hygiene supplies, as well as food and water to the Indonesian Hospital, and transferred 10 critical patients to Al-Shifa Hospital,” Ghebreyesus stated.
“During the transfer, four patients were detained. We demand that Israel ensure their health care needs and rights are maintained.”
He emphasized that hospitals have turned into battlegrounds, putting the health system at grave risk.
Reports indicate that Al-Ahli and Al-Wafa Hospitals in Gaza City sustained damage, and he called for an end to assaults on hospitals while ensuring access to health care.
OCHA revealed that on Sunday, it collaborated with WHO, the World Food Programme (WFP), the Palestine Red Crescent Society, and the UN Department for Safety for the delivery.
The team reported that the hospital is without water, electricity, or sanitation.
OCHA noted that the mission to North Gaza was exceptional, as most of the 150 attempts since October have been denied by Israeli authorities. Even the few that were initially approved faced substantial obstacles.
It was reported that between Friday and Sunday, three out of four attempts to access the area were refused by Israeli authorities. Only the joint team effort was allowed through, but it encountered significant challenges.
“It should not take breaking a siege to assist survivors in desperate need. Aid workers must be granted safe and unhindered access to help individuals wherever they are,” OCHA stated.
Humanitarian access continues to be systematically obstructed across the Gaza Strip. Since Friday, over 60% of the 42 UN-coordinated movements were denied, interfered with, or impeded on the ground.
Another challenge in delivering aid in Gaza is the armed looting of humanitarian relief convoys.
Two incidents recorded in the past three days in southern Gaza impacted dozens of truckloads of supplies, further exposing drivers to serious dangers.
Ongoing fighting and Israeli restrictions on commercial and other imports remain persistent.
These factors continue to severely paralyze humanitarian operations when families urgently require more food, shelter materials, and clothing to endure the winter conditions.
