GENEVA, May 23, 2025 (WAFA) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Gaza's health system is on the brink of total collapse amid an escalating Israeli military assault, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire to protect civilians and medical infrastructure.

In a statement shared on X, WHO reported that at least 94% of all hospitals in Gaza are now damaged or destroyed, with only 19 out of 36 facilities partially functional. The health system, already crippled by months of bombardment and blockade, has faced further deterioration in recent days.

Four major hospitals have shut down in the past week alone due to direct attacks, forced evacuations, and the intensification of the Israeli offensive. North Gaza, the organization noted, has been left virtually without any health care services.

The few hospitals that remain operational in southern Gaza are severely overwhelmed and at imminent risk of closing, WHO said, as they face extreme shortages of fuel, medical supplies, and personnel.

“Hospitals must never be militarized and are not a target,” WHO emphasized, underscoring the obligation under international humanitarian law to protect medical facilities, staff, and patients during armed times of war.

The organization reiterated its call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, warning that the collapse of Gaza’s health system would result in even greater loss of life among civilians already enduring catastrophic conditions.

The warning comes as international concern mounts over the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza, where Israeli attacks and a total blockade since March 2 have left more than 2.4 million Palestinians without reliable access to food, water, medicine, or safe shelter.

M.N