Israel’s so-called ‘safe zone’ proposal in southern Gaza ‘recipe for disaster’: WHO chief

GENEVA (AA) – The World Health Organization (WHO) chief has called Israel’s proposal for a so-called “safe zone” in Al-Mawasi in the southern Gaza Strip a “recipe for disaster.”

“Attempting to cram so many people into such a small area with such little infrastructure or services will significantly increase risks to health for people who are already on the brink,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a virtual address to a UN General Assembly meeting on Gaza in New York.

Tedros underscored that the WHO will not participate in the establishment of any so-called “safe zone” in Gaza “without broad agreement, and unless fundamental conditions are in place to ensure safety and other essential needs are met, and a mechanism is in place to supervise its implementation.”

He also stressed the need for immediate action, saying: “The crisis in Gaza is a crisis for the UN, and a crisis for humanity. Talk is not enough. Resolutions are not enough. Statements are not enough.”

He added: “You must act, and you must act now.”

The “safe zone” proposal seems to answer the question of Israel’s intentions for Gaza after ordering the mass displacement of northern Gazans to go to the south, but due to the reasons cited by Tedros, especially the small size of the area for over 2.2 million people, the proposal is certain to face fierce criticism.

Since Israel started bombarding Gaza on October 7, it has killed at least 11,500 Palestinians, including over 7,800 women and children, according to the latest figures.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel’s relentless air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave.

An Israeli blockade also cut Gaza off from fuel, electricity and water supplies, and reduced aid deliveries to a small trickle.