The World Health Organization (WHO) accused Israel of actually destroying a hospital in the Gaza Strip.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said yesterday on short message service The hospital is no longer operational and patients have died.
According to media reports, several staff were arrested, the WHO chief said, after the Israeli army ended a multi-day operation at the hospital. Many patients had to reach a safe location “at great risk to their health and safety” because ambulances were unable to reach the hospital. Several patients died due to lack of medical care, including a nine-year-old child.
In response, Israel accused Tedros of failing to point out that fighters from the Palestinian Islamic organization Hamas were hiding in the hospital. Additionally, the Israeli military contacted medical personnel before entering the clinic, the Israeli mission to the United Nations in Geneva said.
The army allowed a “humanitarian window” and most of the hospital was evacuated.