Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, told the United Nations Security Council yesterday that, on average, a child is killed every ten minutes in the Gaza Strip, warning that "there is no safe place and no one is safe." He added that half of the 36 hospitals in Gaza and two-thirds of primary healthcare centers are not functioning, and those that are operational are far exceeding their capacity, describing the healthcare system as "on the brink of collapse."
Tedros told the 15-member council, "Hospital corridors are overcrowded with the injured, sick, and dying. Morgues are full. Surgeries are being performed without anesthesia. Tens of thousands of displaced individuals are sheltering in hospitals." He stated, "On average, a child is killed every 10 minutes in Gaza."
He also mentioned that since October 7, the WHO has verified over 250 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza and the West Bank, while 25 attacks have occurred on healthcare facilities in Israel. Israel claims that Hamas hides weapons in tunnels beneath hospitals, a claim the group denies.
Israeli envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, told the Security Council that Israel has formed a task force to establish hospitals in southern Gaza. On October 12, Israel ordered around 1.1 million people in Gaza to move south before its ground invasion. Erdan stated, "Israel is in advanced talks with the United Arab Emirates, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and European countries regarding the establishment of a field hospital and floating hospital ships." He added, "Israel has facilitated Jordan in dropping medical aid by air to hospitals in northern Gaza."
He continued, "It is unfortunate that Israel is doing much more for the residents of Gaza than the World Health Organization or any other UN agency."
Robert Wood, the Deputy US Ambassador to the UN, stated that the United States is working to try to deliver fuel to hospitals in Gaza, emphasizing the need to respect and protect civilian and humanitarian facilities under international law. He said Hamas uses civilians as human shields, adding, "These cowardly tactics do not lessen Israel's responsibility to distinguish between civilians and terrorists in its war against Hamas. The risks of harming civilians in locations used by Hamas for military purposes must be considered when planning an operation."
The Security Council held a moment of silence at the beginning of the session in mourning for the civilians killed in Israel and Gaza, along with 101 personnel from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
