ISTANBUL: Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip is no longer operating as a medical facility, World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Sunday, citing a concerning rise in patient fatalities.
“Regrettably, the hospital is not functioning as a hospital anymore. The world cannot stand silent while hospitals, which should be safe havens, are transformed into scenes of death, devastation and despair,” Anadolu Agency quoted Tedros as saying on X.
Emphasising “the dire and perilous” situation at the hospital, he highlighted that for the past three days, the facility has lacked electricity and water and has poor internet connectivity, severely hampering its ability to provide essential care.
“Tragically, the number of patient fatalities has increased significantly,” he said, reiterating his call for a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.
Israel has been carrying out relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip – including on hospitals, residences and houses of worship – since Oct 7.
The number of deaths in the ongoing Israeli attacks has surpassed 11,100, including more than 8,000 women and children, the government media office in Gaza said on Sunday. – BERNAMA-XINHUA
