WHO accuses Israel of blocking medical aid from entering Gaza

The chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) has accused Israel of blocking vital medical equipment from entering the war-torn Gaza Strip, according to the Middle East Eye and agencies on December 13th.

In a post on X, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that “Many items have been denied entry on the grounds of being classified as dual-use,” stressing that the equipment is “vital” for the “timely detection, response, and treatment of people” who have acute respiratory illnesses.

Tedros also expressed concerns over the impact of severe weather, as many Gazans have been forcibly displaced by Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave.

An estimated 1.9 million people from Gaza have been displaced, with many forced to shelter in tents, which are deemed as unfit for human habitation, especially as rain has flooded the displacement camps in recent weeks.

The WHO estimated that only around 10% of the requested medical supplies had entered Gaza since October 10th, despite the healthcare situation becoming increasingly dire as health workers have faced severe supply shortages.

Australian doctors who worked in Gaza over a four-week period between September and October described the situation as a “slaughterhouse”, as they recounted scenes of complete devastation and bloodshed. Saya Aziz, an anaesthetist, described witnessing “Torn, disintegrated bodies, blood, broken heads, broken arms, chopped limbs — not just chopped, like disintegrated.”

Many patients have been forced to undergo amputations without anaesthetic, with the UN warning in December 2024 that Gaza has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world.

Israel’s war on Gaza has led to at least 21,000 children becoming disabled. The war is estimated to have killed over 17,000 children since it started in October 2023.

Hospitals in Gaza experience severe overcrowding, with some hospitals being forced to share oxygen masks between multiple babies as Israel blocked incubator transfers. The Israeli military has repeatedly targeted hospitals throughout Gaza since its military campaign began in 2023.

Middle East Eye and agencies, Maghrebi.org