WHO chief says north Gaza in 'catastrophic' danger

The World Health Organisation chief warned on Saturday of a disastrous situation in the north of war-ravaged Gaza, with "intensive military operations unfolding around and within healthcare facilities".

"The situation in northern Gaza is catastrophic," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, warning that "a critical shortage of medical supplies, compounded by severely limited access, are depriving people of life saving care".

He highlighted Kamal Adwan, northern Gaza's last functioning hospital, which was stormed by Israeli forces on Friday, according to Gaza's health ministry.

The ministry charged that the raid on the facility in the Jabalia camp, where Israel launched a major operation earlier this month, left two children dead.

It accused Israeli forces of detaining hundreds of staff, patients and displaced people during the raid.

The Israeli military said its forces were operating around Kamal Adwan, but was "not aware of live fire and strikes in the area of the hospital".

Tedros said that the Gaza health ministry had informed the WHO, which had temporarily lost contact with its staff at the hospital, that the siege had ended.

"But it came at a heavy cost," he said.

Late Friday, the WHO said three health workers and another employee were injured in the assault and that dozens of health workers were detained at the hospital, where around 600 patients, health workers and others were sheltering.

"Following the detention of 44 male staff members, only female staff, the hospital director, and one male doctor are left to care for nearly 200 patients in desperate need of medical attention," Tedros said.

"Reports of the hospital facilities and medical supplies being damaged or destroyed during the siege are deplorable," he said.

Medical charity MSF, meanwhile, said that one of its surgeons at the hospital was missing.