WHO Condemns Israeli Delays in Gaza Aid Entry, Cites ‘Chronic Shortage’ of Medical Supplies
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the World Health Organization (WHO) has voiced strong disapproval of Tel Aviv’s ongoing obstruction of aid entering Gaza, announcing that humanitarian assistance is facing “repeated delays.” The organization also decried the “chronic shortage” of medical items in the Gaza Strip.
Rienhelid van Deferd, WHO Representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, stated that the health situation in the Gaza Strip “remains catastrophic,” with none of its hospitals operating at full capacity. “Humanitarian aid is not entering Gaza in sufficient quantities, and it is certainly not enough to expand and effectively restore health services,” she said.
Van Deferd identified Israel’s permit system for the entry of medical supplies and other humanitarian aid as the primary obstacle. “This is a difficult and time-consuming process that does not guarantee a result,” she noted. According to the WHO’s latest analyses, a significant volume of medical supplies are awaiting entry permits for an average of 74 days. She added that if these permits are not granted, “we have to start this long and complex process all over again.”
She pointed out that the permit system is constantly changing with the introduction of new regulations. Essential medical items widely used globally have the lowest approval rates, while X-ray machines, sterilization equipment, spare parts for CT scanners, and other vital equipment are repeatedly rejected. Van Deferd highlighted that in the past six months alone, one shipment of prosthetic limbs and assistive devices was rejected four consecutive times. She emphasized that the issue is not a single obstruction but an entire system where delays are repeated one after another, with a patient waiting behind each delay.
“We need humanitarian and health supplies to enter Gaza unimpeded, regularly, and in large quantities,” Van Deferd stated. She called for the opening of more crossings into Gaza and for “clear and announced guidelines” regarding procedures and requirements. She expressed hope that Tel Aviv would at least reduce the restrictions imposed on medical supplies.
She further explained that success should not be measured by the number of trucks crossing the border, as this figure does not reflect whether the actual health needs of Gaza’s population are being met. “A truck full of non-essential items, or the arrival of appropriate supplies after it is too late, does not save lives,” she stated.
These remarks from the WHO come amid the continued Israeli occupation authorities’ reluctance to implement their commitments under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, particularly concerning the entry of essential aid and supplies into the Gaza Strip.
