Health situation in Gaza catastrophic: WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of a serious deterioration in health conditions in the Gaza Strip, in light of the stifling blockade imposed on the Strip for nearly two months, and the denial of humanitarian and medical aid access.

WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said in a statement Sunday that the health situation in Gaza is catastrophic, and very close to the abyss. She noted that the health risks facing the population are worsening by the day due to the shortage of basic supplies.

Harris emphasized that Palestinians in Gaza are deprived of the necessities of life, including food, clean water, and shelter, in addition to the inability to access healthcare.

She noted that doctors and nurses are suffering from a lack of all the necessary supplies to help the wounded.

The WHO spokesperson said that there are currently 21 hospitals and four field hospitals in Gaza, but none of them has enough beds to meet the needs.

Harris continued, "This means health workers are deprived of everything. We are very close to the abyss, and that's why there is great danger."

Gaza's civil defence agency on Sunday said Israeli strikes on the Palestinian territory killed 16 people, including at least three children.

Six people were killed in overnight air strikes in Khan Younis governorate, in the south of the Gaza Strip, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said. They included two boys aged five and two, in an apartment in Al-Mawasi.

The civil defence later said 10 more people were killed in a strike on a tent also in Al-Mawasi, among them a child and seven women.

Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a two-month truce in its war against resistance group Hamas.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza on Sunday said at least 2,436 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign in Gaza, bringing the war's overall death toll to 52,535.

Israel halted aid deliveries to Gaza, saying Hamas had diverted supplies. Israel says the blockade is meant to pressure the militants into releasing hostages held in the Palestinian territory.

UN agencies have urged Israel to lift restrictions, saying Gazans have been experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe and warning of famine.