The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the cancellation of a mission to deliver medical supplies to northern Gaza on Sunday due to the inability to obtain security guarantees.
This marks the fourth time that the organization has had to cancel a medical supply delivery mission, which is urgently needed, to Al-Awda Hospital and the Central Drug Store in northern Gaza since December 26, according to Reuters.
The WHO office in the occupied Palestinian territories stated through its "X" platform, "It has now been 12 days since we were last able to access northern Gaza."
They further added, "Intense shelling, movement restrictions, and communication disruptions make it nearly impossible to regularly and safely deliver medical supplies to Gaza, especially in the north."
The delivery operation, scheduled for Sunday, aimed to support the operations of five hospitals in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his shock at the extent of the healthcare needs and destruction in northern Gaza. He stated on the "X" platform, "Further delays could lead to more deaths and immense suffering for many people."
In separate comments, the International Rescue Committee and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society stated that their medical emergency response teams were forced to withdraw and suspend their activities at Al-Aqsa Hospital in the central Gaza Strip due to the escalation of Israeli military operations in the area.
The Israeli attack has led to the displacement of most of Gaza's population, which numbers 2.3 million people, and the destruction of many homes and civilian infrastructure.
It has also resulted in a severe shortage of food, water, and medicine.
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