WHO Demands Ceasefire as UN Chiefs Call for Probe into Deadly Israeli Strikes on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has renewed its urgent demand for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after two Israeli airstrikes struck the Nasser Hospital in the southern Strip on Monday, PulseNets learnt.
According to WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus, at least 20 people were killed in the attack, including four health workers and five journalists. He further revealed that 50 others sustained injuries, among them critically ill patients who were already receiving life-saving treatment inside the hospital.
In a strongly worded post obtained by PulseNets, Ghebreyesus declared, “Gaza’s people are being starved, and even the little healthcare available to them is being crushed by repeated assaults. We cannot say it loudly enough: stop targeting healthcare. Ceasefire now.”
He confirmed that the hospital’s main block — home to the emergency department, surgical unit, and inpatient ward — was directly hit, while the emergency staircase also suffered heavy damage.
UN Voices Anger and Shock
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) also condemned the strikes. Commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini, in a statement shared on social media and reported by PulseNets, warned that silencing the last journalists left in Gaza is a grave danger.
“It is shocking to see the final voices documenting children dying silently from hunger being targeted while the world watches in indifference. Let us undo this manmade famine by opening all humanitarian gates without restrictions and by safeguarding reporters, doctors, and aid workers,” Lazzarini stressed.
Journalists Under Fire
The UN recently noted that over 240 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the conflict erupted nearly two years ago following Hamas-led attacks on Israel. Those attacks claimed about 1,200 lives and led to the abduction of 250 hostages, some of whom are still being held in the enclave.
Among the latest casualties was Mariam Abu Dagga, a female photojournalist who had worked with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in 2024 on a special project highlighting the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Guterres Condemns Airstrikes
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the assault in strong terms. His spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told PulseNets that, “These latest horrific killings highlight the extreme risks medical teams and journalists face while trying to do their vital work in this brutal war.”
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The secretary-general reiterated that health personnel and journalists must be protected in line with international humanitarian law and allowed to carry out their duties free from intimidation or harm.
He further renewed his call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, unrestricted humanitarian access, and the immediate release of all hostages still held by armed groups.
