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The World Health Organisation on Friday rejected Israel’s claim that the WHO was in “collusion” with Hamas and is “turning a blind eye” to the suffering of hostages being held in Gaza. WHO Director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus said that such false claims are harmful and can endanger the global body’s staff who are risking their lives to serve the vulnerable.

The clarification by the WHO came a day after Israeli Ambassador Meirav Eilon Shahar accused the global body of working in “collusion” with Hamas and “conveniently ignoring” the evidence provided by the Israeli authorities on the use of hospitals in the Gaza Strip by Hamas groups.

The Israeli Ambassador accused WHO of not only ignoring the evidence provide by Israeli authorities, but also the proof about Hamas terrorists using human shield from the hospitals in Gaza strip. Shahar claimed that the search operations by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in Gaza hospitals led to the recovery of evidence of the use of such hospitals by terror groups.

The WHO, for its part, has refuted all allegations.

In a post on X, Tedros wrote, “WHO refutes Israel’s accusation at the Executive Board meeting yesterday that WHO is in “collusion” with Hamas and is “turning a blind eye” to the suffering of hostages being held in Gaza”.

“Such false claims are harmful and can endanger our staff who are risking their lives to serve the vulnerable. As a United Nations agency, WHO is impartial and is working for the health and well-being of all people,” he added in his post.

Israel declared war on Hamas after the October 7 attack by the terrorist group. Hamas infiltrated Israel through land and air, killed several of its citizens, and seized almost 250 hostages.

Israel, in response, launched a relentless military offensive that the Palestinian territory’s health ministry says has since killed at least 26,083 people.

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