THE World Health Organization (WHO) has called for an immediate end to attacks on medical facilities in Gaza after a recent Israeli strike destroyed an essential storage facility and vital healthcare supplies.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said healthcare services must be protected, stressing that medical facilities should never be targeted or used for military purposes.
"WHO urges that health services be protected. Healthcare facilities must never be attacked or militarised," he said in a statement.
The latest strike over the weekend targeted a storage facility next to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, damaging the main building and destroying medical equipment, including supplies recently delivered by the WHO.
Ghebreyesus said that despite a ceasefire remaining in place, security conditions in Gaza continued to be fragile as residents faced worsening challenges including malnutrition, disease outbreaks and limited access to medical care.
Gaza's Ministry of Health warned on Saturday that the destruction of the hospital's medicine warehouse had pushed the territory's healthcare system into a critical state.
Since October 2023, the WHO has recorded nearly 1,000 attacks on healthcare facilities and services in Gaza, resulting in more than 1,000 deaths and around 1,700 injuries.
The Gaza health authorities have reported that more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,000 injured in the territory since the conflict began in October 2023.
Although a ceasefire agreement has been in effect since Oct 10, 2025, Gaza's Ministry of Health said Israeli attacks have continued across the territory, killing 1,250 Palestinians and injuring 4,110 others. - August 4, 2026
