Gaza`s largest hospital `not functioning` amid Israeli assault

The largest hospital in Gaza has ceased to function and fatalities among patients are rising, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday, as a blistering Israeli assault continues in the Hamas-controlled strip, reports reuters.

Hospitals in the north of the Palestinian enclave, including the al-Shifa complex, are blockaded by Israeli forces and barely able to care for those inside, with three newborns dead at Shifa and more at risk from power outages amid intense fighting nearby, according to medical staff.

Israel says it is homing in on Palestinian Hamas militants who launched deadly attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, and says the group has command centers under and near the hospitals.

The WHO managed to speak to health professionals at Shifa, who described a "dire and perilous" situation with constant gunfire and bombing exacerbating the already critical circumstances, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

"Tragically, the number of patient fatalities has increased significantly," he said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding that Shifa was "not functioning as a hospital anymore."

Tedros joined other top United Nations officials calling for an immediate ceasefire.

"The world cannot stand silent while hospitals, which should be safe havens, are transformed into scenes of death, devastation, and despair," he said._Agencies.