Gaza health system ‘hours’ away from collapse, says WHO

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Ahmed al-Mandhari, the World Health Organization Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, on Tuesday told Kurdistan 24 that the Gaza health system is “hours” away from collapse.

Al-Mandhari also revealed that 2,800 people have been killed in Gaza, with another 10,000 injured. “Hospitals are full of casualties,” he stated.

“The situation is very critical. If we do not bring supplies to these hospitals, we are going to lose more lives,” al-Mandhari continued.

The director added that fuel shortages have led to severe water scarcity and electricity cuts.

“From the first moment of this escalation, we mobilized our teams in the Gaza sub-office. We managed to bring supplies from our logistics hub in Dubai, and now [the supplies] are landing near the Rafah Border Crossing border,” he noted and added, “We can’t send it—it’s waiting there because [the border] is not open from the Israeli side.”

Moreover, he said that since Oct. 7, there have been 115 attacks on hospitals in Gaza, leading to 15 deaths among healthcare workers, and more than 70 ambulances being damaged.

“There is a fear of spreading diseases that threaten public health inside Gaza and possibly outside Gaza,” al-Mandhari explained.

Hamas launched its ambush attack, known as Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, on Oct. 7 along with thousands of rockets fired towards Israel.

The operation's namesake is a reference to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, where Palestinians allege they have continuously been harassed and assaulted by Israeli security forces, preventing them from performing their prayers and religious duties.

At least 3,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip as a result of intense Israeli attacks in the round of conflict, according to the enclave’s health ministry, which is under Hamas control. Another 12,500 people have been wounded, the health authority added.

Furthermore, according to the latest statistics from the Israel Defense Forces, more than 1,400 Israelis, the overwhelming majority of whom are civilians, have been killed since the attack began.