© UNICEF/Abed Zaqout。 An injured child was cared for at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
The World Health Organization said today that the endless war in Gaza has not spared hospitals, medical staff or people who have taken refuge there. Since the outbreak of hostilities, more than 350 attacks have been carried out on health facilities in the enclave of Gaza, according to data released by the group.
WHO spokesman Jasarevich said the events have killed 645 people and injured another 818 since October 7. In the latest incident, a nurse was allegedly shot and seriously injured in the operating theatre of a Khan Younis hospital in southern Gaza.
"The attacks affected 98 medical facilities, with 27 of the 36 hospitals damaged, in addition to 90 ambulances, 50 of which were damaged," Jazarerich told reporters in Geneva. ”
被迫南迁
According to the latest news from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, on Thursday there were more "fierce fighting" in Khan Younis, with shelling and heavy shooting.
The Al-Nasser and Al Amal hospitals in Khan Younis have reportedly been under siege for 17 days, and the two hospitals continue to be severely affected by the violence, while thousands of people have been forced to flee from Khan Younis to Rafah, further south, as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs quoted UN partner Palestine Red Crescent Society.
Hospitals in the "spotlight"
The OCHA update also relayed reports from health authorities in Gaza that "snipers were allegedly shooting near Nasser hospital", while the Israeli military blocked the passage of ambulances and prevented people from entering the hospital.
"On 8 February, a nurse was reportedly shot in the operating room of Nasser Hospital with serious injuries and two other Palestinians were shot dead near the hospital," according to the OCHA update. In addition, "on 7 February, it was reported that a Palestinian woman was allegedly shot dead while fetching water from Nasser hospital".
The situation in the West Bank has escalated
On October 7 last year, Hamas-led terrorist attacks led to the massacre of 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, and more than 250 people were taken hostage. The Hamas attack was widely condemned and sparked this round of the Gaza-Israel war.
The latest data from the World Health Organization also highlights that attacks on health care facilities in the occupied West Bank have also been on the rise since the conflict began.
Jasarevich said there have been about 364 attacks on health care facilities in the West Bank, killing 10 people and injuring 62. He noted that 44 health facilities were affected, including 15 mobile clinics and 24 ambulances.
According to Gaza's health department, the war has killed at least 27,840 people and injured more than 67,300. According to the Israeli military, 225 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,314 wounded as of February 8 since the start of the ground operation.
Fear of famine
UN humanitarian personnel continue to stress that the risk of famine in Gaza is "increasing by the day", especially in northern Gaza.
OCHA said hundreds of thousands of people in the north are "largely out of access", despite the fact that it is where it is most needed. Many have even been reported to grind animal feed into flour to eat.
Since the beginning of the crisis, WFP has sent 1,940 trucks to northern Gaza, 19% of all trucks assisting the Gaza Strip, carrying more than 32,413 tonnes of life-saving food.
According to the latest update from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNRWA, the United Nations agency assisting Palestine refugees, last distributed food north of the Gaza River on 23 January.
Criticism of attempts to create a buffer zone
United Nations humanitarian workers also reiterated today their deep concern over the further escalation of fighting in the overcrowded Rafah area in the southernmost tip of the Gaza Strip.
The UN Human Rights Office stresses that any attempt by the Israeli side to establish a "buffer zone" on the border with Israel in Gaza could amount to war crimes.
"Article 53 of the Geneva Conventions prohibits the occupying Power from destroying property belonging to private individuals unless such destruction is absolutely necessary as a result of military operations," said OHCHR spokesperson Marta Hurtado. ”
"The sabotage for general security purposes appears to be ...... It is not considered a military operation. ”
Comment on the Israeli assault operation
Asked how he reacted to Israel's counterterrorism operation in a West Bank hospital late last month, which resulted in the deaths of three Palestinian militants, Hurtado noted that Israeli security forces claimed that one of the targeted personnel was in possession of a firearm, a claim denied by hospital staff.
She also said that there were no reports of an exchange of fire during the incident. She stressed that under applicable international human rights law, the use of firearms is illegal only when absolutely necessary to prevent an imminent threat to life or serious harm.
