The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that Nasser hospital in Gaza is no longer operational due to an Israeli raid. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) entered the hospital complex on Thursday, claiming that hostages taken by Hamas were being held there. However, the WHO has not been allowed to enter the site to evaluate the situation. The IDF has labeled its operation in Nasser as “precise and limited” and accused Hamas of using hospitals for terror activities.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of WHO, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the hospital is no longer functional after a week-long siege and ongoing raid. He added that the WHO team was not allowed to enter the hospital to assess patient conditions and critical medical needs. There are still approximately 200 patients in the hospital, with at least 20 requiring urgent referral to other hospitals.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported that only four medical staff remained in the hospital to care for the remaining patients. An anonymous source inside the hospital told BBC News that 11 patients had died due to interruptions in electricity and oxygen supply, and several doctors had been arrested.
Despite ongoing conflict in Gaza, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have been taking place in Cairo. However, Qatari mediators have described recent progress as “not very promising”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has labeled Hamas’s demands as “delusional”, while Hamas has blamed Israel for the lack of progress towards a ceasefire.
Netanyahu also announced his government’s decision to continue its ground invasion of Gaza, specifically targeting Rafah, despite international pressure to avoid doing so without a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians. He also stated that his government unanimously voted to oppose the “unilateral recognition” of Palestinian statehood, insisting that any agreement must be reached through direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
