Peeperkorn expressed grave concern over the Israeli military's targeting of Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis on August 25, stressing that the attack resulted in the deaths of at least 20 civilians, including five journalists, and the injury of more than 50 others, including patients.
Peeperkorn said the health system in the Gaza Strip is "paralyzed and collapsing," noting that less than half of the hospitals are only partially functioning to meet the needs of more than 2.1 million people. He explained that Nasser Hospital, currently the largest referral center in the Strip, has become the last resort for thousands of patients, stressing that its loss of service would have "catastrophic consequences" for the health system and the population of the Strip.
He pointed out that the three main hospitals in Gaza—Ahli, Al-Shifa, and Nasser—are currently operating at three times their intended capacity, due to a lack of basic resources and capabilities.
The WHO representative emphasized that the recently released United Nations Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report clearly indicated the presence of famine in Gaza City, and that more than 500,000 people in the northern Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic humanitarian conditions, including acute hunger, poverty, and death.
According to the report, famine is expected to extend to the cities of Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis by the end of next September if the current situation remains unchanged.
According to Peppercorn, the World Health Organization verified the deaths of 206 people in 2025 due to the effects of malnutrition, and he believes this situation remains reversible, provided an immediate ceasefire is implemented and sufficient and unimpeded food and medical aid is allowed to enter.
He stressed that any military operation in Gaza City would push the population south, where more than a million people already live in overcrowded temporary camps, further exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe.
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For its part, Doctors Without Borders announced on Thursday that it had delivered 120 boxes of baby food to Al-Rantisi Hospital in Gaza City, as part of its efforts to respond to the worsening famine resulting from the Israeli blockade and ongoing attacks on the Strip.
The organization stated in a statement that the ongoing military operations and the blockade imposed since March have led to the collapse of the health infrastructure and deprived civilians of basic care. It noted that Israel is only allowing a limited number of aid trucks into Gaza, despite UN warnings of a widening famine.
The organization added that it continues to provide support to Al-Shifa, Al-Ahli, and Al-Aqsa hospitals, as well as the Yarmouk Health Center and a mobile medical team covering various areas of the Gaza Strip.
The famine outbreak coincides with the Israeli military's intensification of its military operations in Gaza City. For more than two weeks, the military has been carrying out attacks, shelling, and incursions into the Shuja'iyya, Zeitoun, and Sabra areas east and south of the city, as well as the Jabalia camp in the north, displacing thousands of civilians.
For several months, Gaza has been experiencing an extremely dire humanitarian situation, marked by deteriorating health services, food shortages, and a lack of clean water, medicine, and basic necessities.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and displacement, ignoring international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
The genocide left 62,895 Palestinians dead, 158,927 injured, most of them children and women, more than 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine that claimed the lives of 317 Palestinians, including 121 children.
