The Director of the World Health Organization office in the Palestinian territories, Richard Pebercorn, announced today, Tuesday, that only 11 hospitals are still operating in the Gaza Strip, and only partially.

Pebercorn said in a brief press briefing on the "X/Twitter formerly" platform that within just 66 days, the health sector in Gaza has shrunk from 36 functioning hospitals to 11 hospitals working partially, one in the north of the sector and ten in the south.

He continued: "We cannot afford to lose any healthcare institutions or hospitals, we hope and pray that does not happen."

The remaining hospitals in the Gaza Strip suffer from a shortage of the fuel necessary for their operation as well as a shortage of medical supplies, and most of the sector’s hospitals have been bombed by Israeli forces.

In a related context, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed his concern about the prolonged inspection of health convoys in the Gaza Strip and the detention of health workers there.

Ghebreyesus said via the "X/Twitter formerly" site that a mission led by the World Health Organization to Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza was stopped twice last Saturday at a checkpoint on its way to northern Gaza and on the return journey, noting that some staff from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society were detained.

Ghebreyesus added: "We are deeply concerned about the prolonged inspections and the detention of health workers, which already endangers the lives of patients."

The World Health Organization emphasized that the obstruction of ambulances and attacks on humanitarian and health workers is unreasonable, stating that healthcare, including ambulances, is protected under international law and must be respected and protected under all circumstances.