Over half of Gaza's hospitals destroyed in two years of war, WHO says

New drone footage captured by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday shows the extent of building destruction and damage to hospitals in Gaza City.

The images illustrate the shattering of Gaza’s health system, as only 13 of the 36 hospitals across the enclave remain partially functional, according to the WHO.

The organisation also said more than 1,700 health workers have been killed since October 2023.

The lack of operational healthcare facilities makes the already dire humanitarian situation on the ground even worse.

The WHO warned on Thursday that infectious diseases are “spiralling out of control” across Gaza.

Rebuilding the territory’s health system will cost over $7 billion, according to WHO estimates.

Hopes of a lasting peace

The organisation has called for an unhindered entry of medical supplies into Gaza, a resumption of medical evacuations and a lasting ceasefire and peace.

The new footage is released as Israel and Hamas are exchanging Palestinian prisoners and remains of Israeli hostages under their recent ceasefire agreement.

Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine on Thursday identified the remains of two more hostages returned from Gaza, with officials and families warning Hamas to hand over the bodies of those still held.

Hamas has returned 10 bodies since Monday, nine of which Israel’s military has identified as hostages. Israel said there were 28 total in Gaza before the exchange.

In exchange for the release of the hostages, Israel freed around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Monday.

Amid a fragile truce that paused the two-year war, Palestinians were awaiting a long-promised surge of aid into Gaza, and plans for an international force to deploy there were beginning to take shape.