WHO director refutes Israel's 'harmful' accusations of collusion with Hamas

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, denied on Friday accusations from Israel of collusion with Hamas.

The WHO leader’s statement came as a response to claims made by the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Meirav Eilon Shahar, during a WHO Executive Board meeting.

Ambassador Shahar accused Hamas of using civilian areas in Gaza for military purposes and alleged that the WHO ignored these facts, labelling it as complicity. She also claimed the WHO was aware of terrorist activities and hostages in Gaza hospitals.

Tedros emphasised the neutrality of WHO as a UN agency committed to global health and well-being. He said that the accusations were harmful and risked the safety of WHO personnel working in conflict zones.

Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of militarising health facilities in Gaza, a claim that remains unproven due to a lack of concrete evidence. While Israeli forces have continued to target medical facilities in Gaza.

The WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, Richard Peeperkorn, said in a December press conference that the WHO's role is limited to monitoring, analysis, and reporting, not conducting investigations.

With ongoing Israeli military operations, at least 26,083 Palestinians have been killed and 64,487 wounded by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, according to the latest figures published by the Health Ministry.

The Israeli forces have been targeting the Al-Amal Hospital and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society headquarters in Khan Yunis, exacerbating the suffering of more than a million displaced residents amidst the siege and continuous bombardment.