WHO chief voices 'deep concern' over Israel's increased military activities in Rafah

GENEVA

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief on Wednesday voiced "deep concern" over Israel's increased military activities in Rafah and warned that more than a million Palestinians remain at risk.

"We are deeply concerned about Israel’s increased military activities in Rafah, where most of Gaza’s people have fled for safety," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press briefing.

Although an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people have left Rafah for Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, Tedros stressed that more than 1.4 million people remain at risk in Rafah, including 600,000 children.

He noted that one of Rafah’s three hospitals, the An-Najjar hospital, has had to shut down, adding that its patients have moved elsewhere, and hospital staff are removing supplies and some equipment to safeguard them.

Regarding the closure of the Rafah crossing, a crucial route for getting humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip, he said: "Fuel that we expected to be allowed in today has not been allowed in, meaning we only have enough fuel to run health services in the south for three more days."

He said that without more aid flowing into Gaza, WHO "cannot sustain our lifesaving support to hospitals."

However, the WHO chief assured that the UN agency has "no intention of withdrawing" from Rafah and will continue to stay and deliver alongside its partners.

Reiterating his call for a cease-fire, Tedros urged the removal of all obstacles to the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance into and across Gaza, at the scale that is required.

On Monday, the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for Palestinians in eastern Rafah, a move widely seen as a prelude to Israel's long-feared attack on the city, home to some 1.5 million displaced Palestinians.

And on Tuesday, the army seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt, a vital route for humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas which killed about 1,200 people. More than 34,800 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and 78,100 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Over seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.