JAKARTA - World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that Israel's plan to occupy the entire Gaza Strip is "deeply worrying and will endanger more children" due to malnutrition and a lack of healthcare.
In a tweet on Sunday evening, Tedros wrote, "Israel's plans to expand its military operation in Gaza are deeply worrying, given the already dire humanitarian and health situation across the Gaza Strip," WAFA reported on August 11.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans last week to establish military control over the Gaza Strip. The plan has drawn opposition and criticism from various countries, including international organizations and humanitarian agencies.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Netanyahu said the latest offensive in Gaza would begin soon, although no specific timeline was given, after the Israeli Security Cabinet previously approved the occupation of Gaza City.
Tedros emphasized that "further military escalation will endanger more children due to malnutrition and a lack of healthcare."
The WHO Director-General reiterated his call for "immediate, unrestricted and widespread access to food and health assistance" to the besieged Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition in Gaza was rising rapidly.
"In February, 2,000 children were affected. In June, that number tripled. Now it has almost doubled again," the organization said in a statement, as quoted by The National.
"This is clear evidence that malnutrition is rapidly increasing, putting children's lives at serious risk," he said, adding that the rate of decline is alarming and requires an urgent and scaled-up response.
"We know how to prevent and treat malnutrition. The tools are there. The expertise is there. But without safe and sustainable access, none of that means anything," he explained.
"Children in Gaza need urgent access to large-scale aid and a ceasefire. Now," UNICEF stressed.
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