The World Health Organization affirmed on Tuesday that transferring high-risk patients from Shifa Hospital in Gaza has become an "impossible mission."
The Israeli mission in Geneva condemned the World Health Organization, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the International Committee of the Red Cross at the end of the week for criticizing Israel's month-long call for civilians and patients to leave the main hospital in the sector.
Israel has faced increasing international pressure due to its military bombardment of Gaza since the attack launched by Hamas on October 7th.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza states that 11,240 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli air and ground operation.
The Israeli mission said, "The international community could have facilitated the transfer of patients, but it did nothing, except reproaching Israel and giving Hamas a free pass."
However, the World Health Organization pointed out that transferring the most vulnerable patients would inevitably lead to deaths.
The organization's spokesperson, Margaret Harris, told reporters in Geneva, "The reason we say that evacuating people is impossible is primarily that people in hospitals are at great risk; they suffer from severe illness. Therefore, moving them is an impossible task."
She added that it would be like "asking doctors and nurses to transfer people despite knowing that it will kill them."
She continued, "Why would you need to move them? A hospital should not be attacked at all. The hospital is a safe haven. It is agreed upon under international humanitarian law."
Israeli forces reached the gates of the massive Shifa Hospital complex on Tuesday, which Israel claims houses Hamas facilities in a network of tunnels, which was denied by the movement.
Doctors report that thousands are stranded in horrifying conditions.
The International Committee of the Red Cross stated on "X" that under international humanitarian law, "hospitals are protected because of their function of saving the lives of the wounded and sick."
It emphasized that while hospitals may lose this protection under certain circumstances, it is "not an open license to kill."
Israel insists that it does not target Shifa Hospital and urged residents of northern Gaza to move to the southern part of the sector.
Harris pointed to a shortage of healthcare facilities in southern Gaza, as the majority of healthcare, especially for more complex cases, was provided in the north.
She said that many hospitals were no longer able to receive new patients.
She said, "Transferring patients from the north may lead to their deaths. Where do you put them?"
She continued, "There are very clear reasons that make it impractical in any way."
