The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark and urgent appeal: protect Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Amal Hospital, two of the last functioning public hospitals in Gaza’s south, before it’s too late. With northern Gaza already devoid of operational hospitals, the burden on these facilities in Khan Younis has become unbearable, as over 2 million people scramble for life-saving care.

Nasser Medical Complex, Gaza’s largest remaining referral hospital, is operating at 180% over capacity. Al-Amal is at its limit. Together, they account for nearly 500 beds—beds that could vanish if access routes remain blocked and vital supplies continue to be denied. The consequences are chilling: a 40% drop in total bed availability since the start of the conflict, with the healthcare system on the brink of collapse.

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“These hospitals aren’t just buildings,” said a WHO official. “They are the difference between life and death for thousands.”

Patients with crushing injuries, cancer, renal failure, and those in need of blood transfusions or surgery flood these hospitals daily. Staffed by exhausted doctors and nurses, supported by one national and four international emergency medical teams, they continue to serve under harrowing conditions—with critical shortages of medications, supplies, and fuel.

Despite the chaos, no formal evacuation orders have been issued for either hospital. However, Israeli authorities have reportedly informed Gaza’s Ministry of Health that access roads leading to both sites will be blocked, putting incoming patients and humanitarian responders at grave risk.

The WHO has not minced words: “Hospitals must never be militarized or targeted. These attacks must stop. The decimation of Gaza’s healthcare system has gone on for too long.”

The collapse of these two hospitals would mark a devastating blow for the people of Gaza, particularly in Khan Younis, where a large portion of the displaced population now resides. For a mother holding a feverish child, or an elderly patient clinging to life in a dialysis chair, the message is clear: time is running out.

Adding to the gravity of the situation, over 50 trucks carrying WHO medical supplies remain stalled at Al-Arish and in the West Bank, unable to cross into Gaza. Without these supplies, hospital teams are forced to make impossible decisions—who receives care, and who is turned away.

In its appeal, WHO is calling for three immediate actions:

• Protection of Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals to ensure they remain safe, functional, and accessible.
• Unhindered humanitarian access, including safe passage for medical supplies and personnel.
• An immediate and lasting ceasefire, to allow health services to stabilize and resume essential care.