The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a dire warning about the potential consequences of an Israeli military incursion into Gaza’s southern city of Rafah. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that such an operation could lead to a “bloodbath” and further weaken the already fragile health system in the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to crush Hamas’s remaining fighters in Rafah, where a large portion of Gaza’s population has sought refuge after nearly seven months of war. The WHO expressed deep concern for the 1.2 million people sheltering in Rafah, stating that the broken health system would not be able to cope with a surge in casualties and deaths that a military operation would cause.
According to the WHO, most of Gaza’s health facilities have been damaged or destroyed due to heavy Israeli bombardment. Only a fraction of hospitals and primary health facilities are partially functional, making it difficult to provide adequate medical care to those in need.
The WHO and its partners are urgently working to restore and resuscitate health services in the region, but the potential scale of devastation from a military operation in Rafah could overwhelm the already strained health system. The organization called for an immediate ceasefire and the removal of obstacles to delivering urgent humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
UN humanitarian agency OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke warned that a military operation in Rafah could lead to a slaughter and cause more suffering and death in the region. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has already resulted in a significant loss of life, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.