During a joint U.N. humanitarian assessment, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital as a “death zone,” contradicting Israel’s claims that the hospital was being used by Hamas militants.
Last week, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted an operation inside al-Shifa Hospital, claiming to have found evidence of weapons and military activity linked to Hamas. Israel released a video supporting their claim.
WHO led a joint team to assess the situation on the ground and described the hospital as a “death zone” with a “desperate” situation. The team observed a mass grave with over 80 individuals buried at the hospital.
“Lack of clean water, fuel, medicines, food, and essential aid over the last 6 weeks have caused Al-Shifa Hospital to essentially stop functioning as a medical facility,” WHO stated in a press release. The team also noted the severe impact on health workers and patients due to the compromised treatment caused by the security situation.
The hospital is no longer operating, with several patient deaths occurring in the past two to three days. This dire situation has significantly impacted the hospital’s ability to provide proper care.
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