Geneva [Switzerland], May 4: AFP on May 4 quoted Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warning of serious consequences if Israel attacks the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where about 1.2 million Palestinians reside. hidden.
" WHO is deeply concerned that a full-scale military operation in Rafah, Gaza could lead to a bloodbath and further weaken the already broken health system," he warned on social network X .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy the remaining Hamas fighters in Rafah, where many displaced civilians are concentrated.
In a statement, WHO said a ground attack on Rafah would significantly increase mortality and morbidity.
"A new wave of displacement will exacerbate overcrowding, further limit access to food, water, health and sanitation services, leading to increased epidemics, increasing levels of hunger more serious and causing more loss of life," according to the statement.
"The collapsed health system cannot cope with the increase in casualties and deaths that the Rafah attack will cause," WHO fears.
According to WHO, the three hospitals currently partially operating in Rafah will become unsafe for access by patients, staff, ambulances and humanitarian workers due to conflict in the surrounding area and will quickly cease to operate. work.
" WHO calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and the removal of obstacles to the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance into and across Gaza, at the scale necessary," according to the statement.
According to Al Jazeera, to date at least 34,622 people have been killed and 77,867 injured in Gaza during the conflict.
In related developments, Hamas forces said they are sending a delegation to Cairo (Egypt) today, May 4, to restore dialogue on ceasefire in Gaza in a "positive spirit".
Foreign mediators are awaiting a response from Hamas on its proposal to pause the conflict for 40 days and exchange hostages with Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper