'Israel' killed 1,000 healthcare workers in Gaza: WHO
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Healthcare facilities and workers are proving to be prime targets for the Israeli occupation in both Lebanon and Gaza.
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Dr. Suhaib Alhamss, the director of the Kuwaiti Hospital in Gaza's southern town of Rafah, gets ready to perform surgery on Thursday, January 11, 2024 (AP)
The World Health Organization (WHO) released a special report Tuesday detailing the dire health conditions in Gaza and Lebanon as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression, revealing paramount Israeli criminality in the region.
According to the WHO, nearly 1,000 healthcare workers in Gaza have been killed by the Israeli occupation since the start of the genocide, which started on October 7, 2023. The organization also revealed that 6% of Gaza's total population had either been killed or injured during the past year of relentless bombardment.
Additionally, the WHO report highlighted the massive displacement caused by the war, noting that 90% of Gaza's population had been forced to flee their homes due to the ongoing Israeli airstrikes.
Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), described Gaza as a "graveyard for tens of thousands of Palestinians, including a large number of children," after a year of intense violence. Lazzarini's comments come as the Israeli offensive continues with US support and near-international complicity.
Since the onset of the aggression on October 7, Israeli forces have carried out attacks by land, sea, and air, killing 41,909 Palestinians and wounding 97,303 others, many of whom are children and women.
36 healthcare facilities attacked in Lebanon
The WHO report also addressed the situation in Lebanon, where 36 attacks on healthcare facilities have been verified since October 2023. Over 2,000 Lebanese civilians have been killed, and nearly 10,000 have been injured in Israeli strikes on the country.
UNICEF recently confirmed the deaths of more than 100 Lebanese children and injuries to 690 others during the first 11 days of the Israeli assault. The UN agency further warned of a growing health crisis in Lebanon, with 1,974 killed, 9,384 injured, and over 346,209 people displaced as a result of the violence.
In a post on its official X account, UNICEF stated: "Lebanon is facing a health crisis."
Earlier today, Lebanon received a shipment of medical supplies and medicines from France. The aid was delivered to Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, where Lebanon's caretaker Minister of Public Health, Dr. Firas Abiad, was present alongside French Ambassador Herve Magro.
Qatar also sent aid to Lebanon, with Qatari State Minister for International Cooperation Lolwah Al Khater and Qatari Ambassador Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani overseeing the delivery.
"This is the third plane to arrive in Beirut today," Abiad said, emphasizing the "joint effort between Qatar and France" to deliver aid to Lebanon. He added that this collaboration "will lead to more significant and efficient aid reaching Lebanon."
Escalating violence against Lebanon
In the latest wave of Israeli strikes, the Southern Suburb of Beirut was hit by a series of violent air raids, which resumed early Tuesday. An Al Mayadeen correspondent reported that more than 26 airstrikes have targeted the area in the last 24 hours alone.
The Israeli occupation forces also continued targeting rescue teams and civil defense workers, attempting to prevent them from reaching the affected areas. Reports indicate that civil defense and ambulance vehicles are unable to enter the Southern Suburb due to the intense Israeli bombardment there.
In one devastating attack, fires broke out following a strike on the Tahwitat al-Ghadir area after airstrikes targeted fuel tanks. Flames continued to rage in the aftermath of the air raid.
Simultaneously, Israeli artillery shelled the heights of Jabal al-Saddaneh on the outskirts of al-Arqoub in southern Lebanon, one Al Mayadeen correspondent reported.
