From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 25, 2024
WHO chief breaks down describing ‘hellish’ Gaza conditions; Israel blasts him for ignoring hostages
The head of the World Health Organization again calls for a ceasefire and a “true solution” to the Israel-Palestinian conflict in an emotional plea to the global health body’s governing body where he describes conditions in Gaza as “hellish.”
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who lived through war as a child and whose own children hid in a bunker during bombardments in Ethiopia’s 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea, became emotional describing conditions in the bombed-out Gaza enclave where more than 25,000 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
“I’m a true believer because of my own experience that war doesn’t bring solution, except more war, more hatred, more agony, more destruction. So let’s choose peace and resolve this issue politically,” Tedros told the WHO Executive Board in Geneva during a discussion about the Gaza health emergency.
“I think all of you have said the two-state solution and so on, and hope this war will end and move into a true solution,” he said, before breaking down, describing the current situation as “beyond words.”
The head of the World Health Organisation,Tedros Ghebreyesus: " This work is not easy and it's occurring in a very difficult environment. The INB and IHR working group are operating amid a torrent of fake news, lies and conspiracy theories…"@Camus pic.twitter.com/YBmu1llM5J
— Apex World News (@apexworldnews) January 25, 2024
Israel’s ambassador says Tedros’ comments represented a “complete leadership failure.”
“The statement by the director-general was the embodiment of everything that is wrong with WHO since October 7th. No mention of the hostages, the rapes, the murder of Israelis, nor the militarization of hospitals and Hamas’s despicable use of human shields,” Meirav Eilon Shahar says in comments sent to Reuters.
She also accused the global health agency of “collusion” with Hamas, saying the WHO turned a blind eye to Hamas’ military activities in Gaza hospitals.
In the same address, Tedros warned that more people in Gaza would die of starvation and disease.
“If you add all that, I think it’s not easy to understand how hellish the situation is,” he says.
The Times of Israel Community.