Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, said on X that the UN body has visited al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals in northern Gaza over the weekend.

He said the WHO team found “severe levels of malnutrition, children dying of starvation, serious shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies, hospital buildings destroyed”.

“The situation at Al-Awda Hospital is particularly appalling, as one of the buildings is destroyed,” he said. 

“Kamal Adwan Hospital is the only pediatrics hospital in the north of Gaza and is overwhelmed with patients. The lack of food resulted in the deaths of 10 children. The lack of electricity poses a serious threat to patient care, especially in critical areas like the intensive care unit and the neonatal unit,” Tedros added.

“We appeal to Israel to ensure humanitarian aid can be delivered safely, and regularly. Civilians, especially children, and health staff need scaled-up help immediately. But the key medicine all these patients need is peace. Ceasefire,” Tedros added.