WHO cautions that further fatalities from treatable illnesses may result from the Gaza bombardment

 WHO cautions that further fatalities from treatable illnesses may result from the Gaza bombardment

According to the World Health Organization, untreated illnesses in Gaza may someday claim more lives than bombs if the health system is not rebuilt.

Children in the packed UN shelters, where some 1.1 million people are seeking refuge, are suffering from respiratory diseases and diarrhea.

Not even individuals with life-threatening conditions like cancer get care.

The warning is given as Israel and Hamas agree to a 48-hour extension of their truce, which is about to enter its fifth day.

Under an arrangement mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, 60 Palestinian women and teens detained in Israeli jails will be exchanged for an extra 20 Israeli women and children held captive in Gaza.

Monday, the fourth and last day of the preliminary deal, saw the release of 11 hostages and 33 inmates, bringing the total number of people liberated to 150 prisoners and 50 hostages.

Under separate agreements, Hamas has also received 19 foreign nationals, one of whom is an Israeli citizen.

In response to an extraordinary cross-border raid by Hamas terrorists on October 7, which resulted in at least 1,200 deaths and around 240 hostages, Israel began a military campaign and blockade of Gaza.

Over 14,800 Palestinians have died in Gaza since the start of the conflict, according to the Hamas-run administration in the region.

during 1.8 million Palestinians are thought to have left their homes in Gaza during the previous seven weeks, according to UN estimates. Sixty percent of them are staying in 156 UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) facilities.

Assessments of those shelters revealed outbreaks of infectious illnesses, with incidences of diarrhea among children five years of age and older decreasing below normal levels by early November, according to WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris during a press briefing in Geneva. has grown by more than a hundredfold.

He explained that there is no cure for them and that without it, an infant's health might deteriorate and they could die very soon.

Only five hospitals in the north of Gaza, which has been the target of the Israeli ground attack, are partly operating, according to the UN.

The Israeli military has ordered citizens to evacuate the south, where eight of the eleven hospitals are located. Of those facilities, only one is equipped to handle instances of severe trauma or carry out intricate procedures.

According to Dr. Harris, "Ultimately, if we are not able to get this health system back (together), we will see more people dying from disease than from the bombings."

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters via video connection from Gaza that hospitals were overflowing with children suffering from horrific combat wounds.

He related how a paucity of medical personnel had left a toddler lying on the hospital floor for many hours without receiving any care. According to him, there were more injured kids laying about in gardens and parking lots.

Families with displaced children in Gaza are now suffering from a shortage of appropriate clothes and shelter from the cold and rain.

In the first four days of the truce, 800 relief trucks entered Gaza, some of which made it to the north, according to US officials. Although this is an uptick over the previous several days, it is still much below the average.

UN agencies have reiterated their support for a durable ceasefire, saying that such circumstances make a return to hostilities inconceivable.

The military in Israel will "move forward with full force to realize our goals" when the halt expires, according to a pledge made by the prime minister.

On Tuesday, however, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said that it will make advantage of the extension in order "to seek a durable ceasefire that will lead to further negotiations and ultimately an end to this war".

Majid al-Ansari, the spokesman, stated: "We are making do with what we have. Currently, we have a clause in the deal that permits us to prolong the duration until Hamas can ensure the release of a minimum of ten hostages." Reporter based in Doha.

He said that mediators anticipated learning from Hamas about over 150 Israelis and international individuals, including several troops and children as young as 10, who were still being kept captive.

Not all of the individuals held captive were in the hands of Hamas, a senior source from the organization informed the BBC in Qatar. Some Palestinians belonged to smaller armed groups like Islamic Jihad, which the United States, Israel, and other Western governments consider to be terrorist organizations along with Hamas.

The insider said that Hamas needs more time to make contacts and get information. Due to damage to the telecommunications network and a shortage of gasoline, communication is very difficult.

Additionally, Mr. Ansari said that there have only been "minimal violations" of the ceasefire documented.

However, the Israeli military said that three explosive devices had gone off close to its forces at two different places in northern Gaza, violating the deal, two hours after he had made his statement.

"The military returned fire when the terrorists at one point opened fire on them as well. During the encounters, a number of troops suffered minor injuries," the statement said.

The military arm of Hamas said that there was "friction" in the north and that Israeli soldiers had conducted a "clear violation" of the ceasefire agreement by its fighters.

There had already been reports of explosives and gunfire in Gaza City's northwest.

When scores of displaced Palestinians attempted to return to their houses in the Sheikh Radwan region, an Israeli tank and troops fired warning shots, according to a local journalist who spoke with the BBC. He stated a structure was struck by a shell and that one person was hurt.