In the midst of the ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, UN agencies have issued a desperate plea for international action to halt the targeted attacks on hospitals. The regional directors of the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA), children's agency UNICEF, and health agency WHO expressed deep horror and concern over the reports of casualties, including children, in healthcare facilities across Gaza city and other northern areas of the Strip.

Disturbingly, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society has reported that Al-Quds, the second-largest hospital in Gaza, is effectively out of service due to fuel shortages, with sporadic communication being the only connection they have been able to establish with the facility. Similarly, the WHO has lost contact with its contacts at Al Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza, where patients in critical condition have succumbed to their injuries due to the lack of available fuel for operations. Tragically, two babies in the intensive care unit have already lost their lives, deprived of essential resources such as water, food, and electricity.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus voiced grave concern for the safety of both the staff and patients caught in the crossfire, highlighting reports of Israeli tanks surrounding Al Shifa Hospital. The Israeli military vehemently denies targeting hospitals, alleging that Hamas and other militants are using these facilities as shields, with their headquarters located underground beneath Al Shifa.

In an official statement, Laila Baker of UNFPA, UNICEF Regional Director Adele Khodr, and Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari of WHO emphasized that the intense hostilities surrounding several hospitals in northern Gaza are obstructing the safe access for healthcare workers and those in need of urgent medical attention. Premature and newborn babies relying on life support are reportedly succumbing to the lack of power, oxygen, and water at Al-Shifa Hospital. The situation is dire, with staff across multiple hospitals reporting shortages of fuel, water, and basic medical supplies, putting the lives of all patients in immediate jeopardy.

Over the past 36 days, WHO has documented at least 137 attacks on healthcare in Gaza, resulting in 521 deaths and 686 injuries, including 16 deaths and 38 injuries of health workers. These attacks are unequivocally unacceptable and flagrant violations of international law. The regional directors stress that the right to seek medical assistance, especially during times of crisis, should never be denied.

With more than half of Gaza's hospitals shuttered and the remaining few under immense strain, the scarcity of water, food, and fuel is further imperiling the wellbeing of thousands of displaced people, particularly women and children seeking refuge within these medical facilities.

The directors implore the international community to no longer remain silent while hospitals, meant to be safe havens, instead become scenes of death, devastation, and despair. They urgently call for decisive international action to secure an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, prevent further loss of life, and salvage what remains of Gaza's healthcare system. Unimpeded, safe, and sustained access is desperately needed to provide crucial resources such as fuel, medical supplies, and water for these lifesaving services. Above all, it is imperative that the violence comes to an end.

Meanwhile, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lynn Hastings, warns that the scarcity of fuel is not only jeopardizing lives in hospitals, but also disrupting critical services such as water pumps, desalination plants, and wastewater treatment centers, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation.