Amman: The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Saturday of a deteriorating health crisis in the occupied West Bank as Israeli occupation forces target medical facilities and impose tight restrictions on Palestinians.

In a statement on its website, the organization called for prompt and effective protection of civilians and the health system in the West Bank, expressing regret about a financial strain that affected health institutions.

It said the serious financial crisis, which has been exacerbated by Israel’s seizure of Palestinian tax money since October 7, has left health staff receiving only half their salaries for about a year and 45 percent of essential medicines running out of stock.

The WHO has documented 480 attacks on health facilities or ambulances in the occupied West Bank between October 7, 2023, and May 28 this year, in which 16 people were killed and 95 injured.

Access to health care has been restrained by military closures, checkpoints, growing insecurity and closures of entire villages
, according to the organization.

Israeli occupation authorities are withholding more than 6 billion shekels in tax money collected monthly by Israel’s Finance Ministry on imported goods on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.

Since the war on the Gaza Strip began on October 7, some 546 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, among them 133 children, and more than 5,200 injured.

Source: Jordan News Agency