Gaza hospital attacked by Israel was full of patients, health workers, IDPs -WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO)  has demanded the immediate protection of civilians and healthcare workers in the Gaza Strip after the attack on al-Ahli Arab Hospital.

An Israeli air strike on Tuesday killed about 500 Palestinians at the hospital crammed with patients and displaced people. The UN health agency said in a statement. that the hospital was operational, with patients, health- and care-givers, and internally-displaced people sheltering there.

The hospital was one of 20 in the north of the Gaza Strip facing evacuation orders from the Israeli military, the WHO added.  “The order for evacuation has been impossible to carry out given the current insecurity, critical condition of many patients, and lack of ambulances, staff, health system bed capacity, and alternative shelter for those displaced.

“WHO calls for the immediate active protection of civilians and health care. Evacuation orders must be reversed. International humanitarian law must be abided by, which means health care must be actively protected and never targeted.”

(Aljazeera)