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WHO calls for humanitarian cease-fire to provide Gaza aid

May 20, 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) is asking for access to Gaza as the health care system in the Palestinian enclave is suffering critical shortages after days of heavy bombing.

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paramedic and man with child in rubble
International health agencies warn that medical supplies in Gaza are running outImage: Mohammed Talatene/dpa/picture alliance

The WHO on Thursday appealed for a humanitarian pause of Israel's bombardment of Gaza, and for medical teams delivering emergency aid to be allowed entry.

Medical supplies, water and fuel for electricity are quickly running out in the Palestinian enclave.

"The closure of entry and exit points for patients and humanitarian health teams and the severe restrictions on the entry of medical supplies is exacerbating this public health crisis," WHO regional director Ahmed Al-Mandhari said at a media briefing.

"The severity of injuries is straining an already overwhelmed health system that is facing critical shortages of essential medicines and supplies while also battling the COVID-19 pandemic," he added.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to visit Jerusalem

The WHO head for the West Bank and Gaza, Rik Peeperkorn, said that a United Nations convoy was standing by to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza, and bring wounded people out for treatment.

"Until there is cease-fire agreed, all parties to the conflict must agree to a humanitarian pause to ensure access into and out of Gaza," Peeperkorn said.

Medical situation in Gaza 'critical'

The WHO says that Israeli bombing has damaged or destroyed several hospitals and clinics in Gaza.

A bandaged man in a Gaza City hospital
A man wounded during an airstrike in Gaza kisses his daughter's handImage: Mohammed Salem/REUTERS

Earlier this week, the head of Doctors Without Borders' (MSF) mission in the Palestinian Territories, Ely Sok, said that the situation in Gaza was "critical."

"The number of wounded and displaced people is mounting while additional humanitarian personnel and supplies still cannot enter Gaza," Sok said in a press release.

"Safe access for humanitarian staff and supplies also needs to be urgently arranged," he added. MSF said Israeli airstrikes on Sunday damaged one of its clinics, which was forced to close.

Palestinian medical staff sitting on a street at night
Medical staff rest outside a hospital in Gaza City last weekImage: Mustafa Hasson/AA/picture alliance

According to health officials in Gaza, at least 230 Palestinians, including 65 children and 39 women, have been killed since fighting began on May 10, with more than 1,700 wounded in air and artillery bombardments. The Palestinian authorities do not differentiate between civilian and militant casualties.

At least 12 people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl and a soldier, have been killed.

What is the progress on a cease-fire?

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told an emergency in-person General Assembly meeting Thursday that he and the UN Mideast envoy are engaged in "extensive diplomatic efforts'' in the region, including with Egypt, Jordan and Qatar, to stop the fighting.

On Thursday during a visit to the region, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Israel has "the right to defend itself against such unacceptable attacks.''

Maas also said Germany is concerned about the rising number of civilian deaths and supports efforts towards a cease-fire.

Middle East crisis: What can stop the cycle of violence?

The spokesman for Angela Merkel said the German chancellor spoke by telephone with President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, on Thursday. Both Merkel and Abbas agreed that initiatives for a speedy cease-fire should continue to be supported.

Michael Freeman, policy adviser to Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, told DW on Wednesday that every civilian death was a tragedy but that "a ceasefire in itself is not an aim."

"We need to make sure that we … have a sustainable period of calm so that this is not something that happens again in a few months' time," said Freeman. 

What is latest on the conflict?

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Thursday said that the Israeli Defense Forces were prepared to continue their campaign against Hamas in Gaza "with full resolve'' and "in a politically responsible manner."

Israel launched more airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday. The Israeli military said it had had "neutralized" a tunnel system dug by Hamas militants.

The Israeli military also said it struck at least three homes of Hamas commanders in the southern Gazan cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, targeting "military infrastructure."

A burned-out parking garage hit by a rocket
The aftermath of a rocket attack on a building in Tikvah, IsraelImage: Dana Regev/DW

The Associated Press reported that Israeli airstrikes hit a street in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, destroying several "ramshackle homes." The Israeli military said it targeted two underground launchers in the camp used to fire rockets at Tel Aviv.

Hamas militants have fired more than 4,000 rockets so far at Israel from the Gaza Strip, most of which have been intercepted by the "Iron Dome" defense system. 

wmr/msh (AP, Reuters, AFP, dpa)