(Geneva) The World Health Organization (WHO) managed, for the first time since May 13, to reach the north of the Gaza Strip to deliver fuel oil and equipment to Al-Ahli hospital, said announced his boss on Wednesday.
“Al-Ahli hospital cares for twice as many people as it is designed for, it lacks surgical equipment and the staff is not paid,” wrote Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on the social network .
For the moment, no major surgery “can be carried out in the evening, due to lack of specialized personnel”, explains the director general, adding that the WHO is trying to deploy a team on site.
In difficult conditions and “intense hostilities”, the WHO mission was able to deliver 15,000 liters of essential fuel for the hospital’s generators and electricity production, but also 14 medical beds, medicines and trauma equipment to cover the needs of 1,500 people.
The mission also made it possible to escort 5 Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances to help restore health services in the north of the narrow Palestinian territory.
Missions towards the north of the Gaza Strip, scene of intense bombardments by the Israeli army and fighting since the unprecedented attack by the Islamist movement Hamas on October 7 on Israeli territory, are made very difficult by the shortage of gasoline, but also destroyed roads, rubble and lack of safe access, underlines Doctor Tedros.
Israeli army checkpoints are also a source of delays, according to the WHO.
“Due to delays at a checkpoint, the mission was unable to access” another nearby hospital, the WHO boss said.
The Israeli army vowed to annihilate Hamas after October 7 and launched an offensive that left at least 36,096 dead, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas administration’s Health Ministry.
The attack by commandos of the Palestinian Islamist movement, infiltrated from the Gaza Strip, led to the death of more than 1,189 people, mainly civilians, according to a new count carried out on Tuesday by AFP based on the latest official figures available.