The head of the World Health Organization stated Sunday the well being system in Gaza was being destroyed and reiterated his name for a ceasefire.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus additionally hailed Gaza’s medical staff who proceed their work below more and more dire circumstances.

“The decimation of the Gaza health system is a tragedy,” he posted on X, previously Twitter. “We persist in calling for CeasefireNow.”

“In the face of constant insecurity and inflows of wounded patients, we see doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and more continue striving to save lives,” Tedros stated.

The UN well being company has lengthy been sounding the alarm concerning the state of well being care for the reason that bloodiest ever war in Gaza erupted since October 7.

Hamas’s unprecedented assault inside Israel led to the killing of about 1,140 folks, based on an AFP tally based mostly on Israeli figures, and seized round 250 hostages, 129 of whom are believed to stay captive in Gaza.

Israel’s withering navy marketing campaign, together with huge aerial bombardment, has killed 20,424 folks, largely ladies and youngsters, based on the Palestinian well being ministry in Gaza.

Vast areas of Gaza lie in ruins and its 2.4 million folks have endured dire shortages of water, meals, gas and medication resulting from an Israeli siege, alleviated solely by the restricted arrival of assist vehicles.

Of Gaza’s authentic 36 hospitals, solely 9 at the moment are partially useful, all of them within the south and all of them overwhelmed.

After missions final week to 2 badly broken hospitals within the north, Al-Shifa and Al-Ahli, WHO employees described “unbearable” scenes of largely deserted sufferers, together with younger kids, begging for meals and water.

WHO warned that at the same time as healthcare wants soar, solely 38 p.c of pre-conflict hospital beds remained obtainable within the Palestinian territory and solely 30 p.c of authentic well being employees had been nonetheless working.

At the identical time, hospitals, protected below worldwide humanitarian legislation, have repeatedly been hit by Israeli strikes for the reason that conflict erupted.

The Israeli navy accuses Hamas of getting tunnels below hospitals and utilizing the medical services as command centres, a cost denied by the group.

As of December 20, WHO had registered 246 assaults on well being care in Gaza, together with hospitals and ambulances, leading to 582 deaths and 748 accidents.