GENEVA: Almost all the patients in the European Gaza Hospital and the Red Cross field hospital decided to flee following Israeli military evacuation orders for the surrounding area in southern Gaza, the WHO said Wednesday.
On Monday, 270 patients reportedly self-evacuated along with medical staff, and on Tuesday, the Gaza health ministry evacuated more patients, the World Health Organization said.
“Now only three patients remain at the European Gaza Hospital and three at the ICRC field hospital. Most patients have been referred to Nasser Medical Complex,” the WHO said, citing figures from Tuesday.
The Israeli army on Monday ordered the evacuation for most areas east of Khan Yunis and Rafah along the Egyptian border. It did not explicitly announce a military operation, but such orders have typically preceded major offensives.
Though the European Gaza Hospital itself is not under evacuation instructions, the order has impacted operations.
“As witnessed several times during the ongoing war, insecurity in a hospital’s proximity and lack of access for patients, health workers, and humanitarians to resupply fuel, medical supplies, water and food can make hospitals non-functional very quickly,” the WHO said.
The UN health agency said it would try to support attempts to transfer valuable medical equipment and supplies out of the hospital.
“European Gaza Hospital was one of the few remaining key referral hospitals south of Wadi Gaza, where the majority of the population is,” Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative in the Palestinian territories, told reporters in Geneva via video-link on Tuesday.
Having seen the effect that previous evacuation orders have had on hospitals, “this time, the hospital staff and the patients, they decided to already evacuate themselves”, he said.
He said that 16 of the 36 hospitals in Gaza were in some part functional, while of the 10 field hospitals, four are fully functioning and four were partially functional.
Furthermore, 43 out of 99 primary health care centres remain functional at some level.
Peeperkorn hoped that the European Gaza Hospital “will be spared” in any Israeli military assault in the area.
He said “most staff” have left, though some medical workers are staying alongside the three remaining patients in the hospital.
Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive aimed at eradicating the Palestinians militants in Gaza has killed more than 37,900 people, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
On Monday, 270 patients reportedly self-evacuated along with medical staff, and on Tuesday, the Gaza health ministry evacuated more patients, the World Health Organization said.
“Now only three patients remain at the European Gaza Hospital and three at the ICRC field hospital. Most patients have been referred to Nasser Medical Complex,” the WHO said, citing figures from Tuesday.
The Israeli army on Monday ordered the evacuation for most areas east of Khan Yunis and Rafah along the Egyptian border. It did not explicitly announce a military operation, but such orders have typically preceded major offensives.
Though the European Gaza Hospital itself is not under evacuation instructions, the order has impacted operations.
“As witnessed several times during the ongoing war, insecurity in a hospital’s proximity and lack of access for patients, health workers, and humanitarians to resupply fuel, medical supplies, water and food can make hospitals non-functional very quickly,” the WHO said.
The UN health agency said it would try to support attempts to transfer valuable medical equipment and supplies out of the hospital.
“European Gaza Hospital was one of the few remaining key referral hospitals south of Wadi Gaza, where the majority of the population is,” Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative in the Palestinian territories, told reporters in Geneva via video-link on Tuesday.
Having seen the effect that previous evacuation orders have had on hospitals, “this time, the hospital staff and the patients, they decided to already evacuate themselves”, he said.
He said that 16 of the 36 hospitals in Gaza were in some part functional, while of the 10 field hospitals, four are fully functioning and four were partially functional.
Furthermore, 43 out of 99 primary health care centres remain functional at some level.
Peeperkorn hoped that the European Gaza Hospital “will be spared” in any Israeli military assault in the area.
He said “most staff” have left, though some medical workers are staying alongside the three remaining patients in the hospital.
Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive aimed at eradicating the Palestinians militants in Gaza has killed more than 37,900 people, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
