GENEVA, Switzerland: Palestinians in northern Gaza are enduring “unspeakable horrors,” according to Joyce Msuya, the United Nations’ acting humanitarian chief, as Israel intensifies its military campaign in the region.
The Israeli offensive, which began on October 6, aims to prevent Hamas from regrouping in the north of Gaza. This has resulted in widespread displacement, with tens of thousands of Palestinians forced to flee.
Msuya’s statement on X emphasized the dire situation, noting that people in areas like Jabaliya are trapped under rubble, with first responders unable to reach them. Essential supplies, including food, water, and medical provisions, are running out, and hospitals are overwhelmed with patients. Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that more than 400 people have been killed in two weeks of military operations in the northern region.
The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed alarm after Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital was struck, leading to the deaths of two critically ill patients due to a loss of electricity. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the vulnerability of healthcare facilities in conflict zones, calling for hospitals to remain operational and urging an immediate ceasefire to protect patients and health workers.
Despite urgent requests from the UN for access to northern Gaza to rescue trapped civilians, Israeli forces have reportedly not granted the necessary permissions. Muhannad Hadi, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, stated that hospitals such as Kamal Adwan, which is treating most of the 370 patients in northern Gaza, are running critically low on supplies and fuel.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has also condemned the attacks on Gaza’s hospitals, calling it collective punishment on the Palestinian population. As the conflict continues, health organizations are urging for humanitarian corridors and a halt to the ongoing violence to allow critical aid to reach those in desperate need.
