“After more than a month, WHO and partners managed to access Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza to deliver 19,000 litres of fuel; lifesaving medical supplies for 150 patients; and treatments for 50 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition,” Tedros wrote on X.
There are over 240 patients in the hospital who are being served by volunteer health workers, Tedros said. The level of destruction around the hospital is “beyond words,” he added.
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages.
On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.