In an emotionally charged appeal at the World Health Organization’s annual assembly, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus implored Israel to show “mercy” amid the ongoing war in Gaza, warning that the violence is not only devastating Palestinian civilians but is also damaging Israel’s own long-term interests, AFP reported.
Fighting back tears during his address on May 22, Dr. Tedros, who has frequently spoken of his own experience growing up during conflict in Ethiopia, said the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza was exacting a profound toll.
“I can feel how people in Gaza would feel at the moment. I can smell it. I can visualise it. I can hear even the sounds,” he said in his speech in the assembly, describing the trauma with references to his own PTSD. “You can imagine how people are suffering. It’s really wrong to weaponise food. It’s very wrong to weaponise medical supplies.”
His remarks come as the United Nations began delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza for the first time since Israel imposed a full blockade on March 2. Approximately 90 truckloads of essential supplies were distributed Thursday, according to UN officials.
Dr. Tedros stressed that only a political resolution can bring lasting peace, asserting that continued violence benefits no one.
“A call for peace is actually in the best interests of Israel itself,” he said. “I feel that the war is hurting Israel itself and it will not bring a lasting solution. I ask if you can have mercy. It’s good for you and good for the Palestinians. It’s good for humanity.”
Dire Health Crisis Unfolding
Echoing Tedros’s plea, WHO emergencies director Dr. Michael Ryan painted a grim picture of Gaza’s humanitarian situation, warning that 2.1 million people are “in imminent danger of death.” “We need to end the starvation, we need to release all hostages, and we need to resupply and bring the health system back online,” Ryan said. Drawing from personal experience, he added, “As an ex-hostage, I can say that all hostages should be released. Their families are suffering.”
The WHO reports that Gaza is facing critical shortages of food, clean water, medical supplies, fuel, and shelter. Four major hospitals have ceased operations in the past week due to attacks or forced evacuations. Of the 36 hospitals in Gaza, only 19 remain partially functional — and they are operating under extreme duress.
“At least 94 percent of all hospitals in the Gaza Strip are damaged or destroyed,” the organization reported, adding that northern Gaza “has been stripped of nearly all health care capacity.”
Across the entire enclave, only about 2,000 hospital beds remain, a number WHO officials say is “grossly insufficient” to address the scale of medical emergencies.
“The destruction is systematic,” the WHO said. “Hospitals are rehabilitated and resupplied, only to be exposed to hostilities or attacked again. This destructive cycle must end.”
As international pressure mounts for a ceasefire and a renewed diplomatic effort, the WHO's impassioned pleas underscore the urgency of averting further humanitarian collapse in Gaza.
