Its head The World Health Organization today rejected Israel’s accusations of “collusion” between this UN agency and Hamas.

“Such false claims are damaging and can endanger our staff, who risk their lives to care for vulnerable people,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on Platform X.

“As an agency of the United Nations, WHO is impartial and acts for the health and well-being of all,” he added.

On Thursday, at the WHO Executive Board meeting, Israel’s ambassador to the UN headquarters in Geneva, Meirav Eilon Sahar, accused Hamas of “militarized the urban zone of the Gaza Strip” following a “premeditated strategy”.

He also claimed that the WHO has repeatedly chosen to ignore the “indisputable facts”. “This is not about a deficiency (of the Organization), but about its unfair partnership” with Hamas, he added.

Israel accuses Hamas of taking advantage of the protection afforded to health facilities under the law of war and using hospitals to launch attacks, hide its tunnels and weapons. The Palestinian organization denies the accusation.

“According to Israel’s ambassador, ‘the WHO knew that hostages were being held in hospitals and that terrorists were operating there.’