An online dispute has arisen between the World Health Organization (WHO) and Israel, following the claim by the United Nations health body that the Israeli army instructed them to evacuate supplies from their warehouse in southern Gaza.
WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, disclosed that they received notification from Israeli forces to evacuate supplies from their medical warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours, citing concerns that ground operations would render it unusable.
Ghebreyesus appealed to Israel to reconsider this directive and to take steps to safeguard critical infrastructure, such as hospitals.
Al Jazeera correspondent Alan Fisher reported from occupied East Jerusalem, characterizing the situation as a social media dispute that is gaining momentum.
He noted that WHO took the directive seriously by initiating the removal of supplies from the warehouse, which serves 11 hospitals in southern Gaza.
There are growing concerns among UN officials that this move could exacerbate the strain on hospitals in the region.
Fisher anticipated that this disagreement might escalate into a larger diplomatic conflict. The WHO, in line with other UN agencies, has consistently urged Israel to exercise restraint in the use of force to prevent the targeting of civilians and medical facilities during its military actions in Gaza.
Simultaneously, Lynn Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, issued a warning on Monday about a potential worsening of the humanitarian crisis, expressing concern that the conditions necessary for aid delivery in Gaza were not present.
Since the termination of a seven-day truce, Israeli forces have expanded their operations into southern Gaza, displacing tens of thousands into confined spaces in search of basic necessities.
The UN recorded an unprecedented number of attacks on Gaza’s healthcare system, including assaults on hospitals, ambulances, medical supplies, and the detention of healthcare workers.
The Israeli army’s decision to shift its focus to southern Gaza has heightened fears among health officials of a further deterioration of the already dire humanitarian situation.
Munir al-Bursh, the director general of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, highlighted the overwhelmed healthcare system struggling with shortages of staff and medical supplies.
The south is now densely populated with civilians who fled bombardment in the north based on Israeli evacuation orders indicating southern Gaza as a safe area.
However, with southern Gaza now under heavy attack and tanks approaching the main city of Khan Younis, civilians are facing heightened fear and uncertainty about their next move.
The WHO issued a statement cautioning that intensified military ground operations in Khan Younis could sever healthcare access for thousands, particularly impacting the area’s main hospitals as the number of casualties rises.
In the south, thousands seek refuge at the Nasser Medical Complex, with an additional 70,000 at the European Gaza Hospital, according to UN agency estimates.
