The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, shared a distressing revelation that, on average, a child is tragically killed every 10 minutes in the war-torn Gaza Strip. Speaking to the United Nations Security Council, Tedros painted a grim picture, emphasizing that nowhere and no one is safe in the current situation.
He highlighted the dire condition of Gaza’s healthcare system, stating that half of its 36 hospitals and two-thirds of primary healthcare centers are non-operational. Even the functioning facilities are overwhelmed beyond their capacities. The situation worsened following an October 7 attack in southern Israel, leading to Israel’s vow to eradicate Hamas, the ruling power in Gaza. Israel claims around 1,200 casualties and over 240 hostages in the attack, prompting airstrikes, a siege, and a ground invasion of Gaza.
Tedros reported that since October 7, over 250 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza and the West Bank have been documented by WHO, compared to 25 attacks in Israel. Israel alleges that Hamas hides weapons in tunnels under hospitals, a claim strongly denied by Hamas.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, mentioned a task force establishing hospitals in southern Gaza and discussions with the United Arab Emirates, the ICRC, and European countries for field and floating hospitals. Israel facilitated a Jordanian airdrop of medical aid to northern Gaza hospitals.
The U.S. is actively working to provide fuel to Gaza hospitals, according to Deputy U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood, who stressed respecting and protecting civilian and humanitarian facilities under international law.
During the Security Council meeting, a moment of silence honored civilians and UNRWA-associated individuals killed in both Israel and Gaza. Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields, but Wood emphasized that such tactics don’t diminish Israel’s responsibility to distinguish between civilians and terrorists.
