Unlike most UN agencies, the head of the European Region of the World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized Hamas as an immoral and vicious terrorist organization and expressed his shock at their actions that opened the Gaza war.
Health Minister Uriel Bosso met with the WHO’s Dr. Hans Kluge at Airport City, the ministry’s control center for coordinating activities during the war. “Hamas is the aggressor. We expect support in our just war,” Bosso said. The two discussed the need to take care of the health of the Israeli abductees held by Hamas-ISIS and the Israeli demand to promote a medical response to the residents of Gaza the wounded outside the combat zones.A Belgian national, Kluge began his term as WHO regional director for Europe on in February 2020. The WHO is the directing and coordinating authority on international health within the UN. Kluge has 25 years of experience in medical practice and public health in numerous settings around the world. Having qualified in medicine, surgery and obstetrics from the Catholic University of Leuven in 1994, he began his career as a family physician in Belgium. He joined WHO in 1999 as a project and HIV project manager in the Russian Federation.
Bosso pointed out to the WHO official that Israel is determined to defend itself and that the Israeli government has responsibility for some 10 million citizens and residents of all religions and ages who are threatened just because they are Israelis. The minister stressed that Israel avoids harming innocent civilians of all ages as much as possible and wants to allow the wounded to leave Gaza to receive optimal treatment. But nevertheless, he added, in no way can Israel avoid pursuing the goals of the war, including reaching the Hamas-ISIS leaders who are hiding in hospitals and using children, women, and the elderly as human shields.
WHO must recognize Hamas as terrorist
Bosso said that he expects the WHO as a whole to recognize the fact that “the terrorist organization Hamas-ISIS is the aggressor and murderous party that acted contrary to all moral standards, perpetrated the war, and is now responsible for the difficult humanitarian situation in Gaza and the harm to the non-involved and innocent of its people – all this while holding some 240 kidnapped Israelis in harsh conditions and without providing access to medical services or access to the Red Cross.” The Shas minister called on the WHO to take part in the effort to free the abductees and demand that they be given access to the Red Cross and international bodies.
Kluge expressed his deep shock at the terrorist attack on kibbutzim, moshavim, and environs by Hamas and praised the performance of the Israeli health system and of the Soroka-University Medical Center in Beersheba and Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon – especially because of the very large number of wounded who arrived simultaneously. He also promised to spread the word all over the world about the atrocities and cruelty of the terrorist organization Hamas.
Bosso thanked Kluge for “his many years of support for the State of Israel and the Health Ministry and for being the first senior official from the WHO to stand by us and condemn the vile acts of Hamas-ISIS. Everyone should understand that the terrorist organization Hamas-ISIS is the aggressor, and we expect global support for our just war and the guarantee of the safety of our kidnapped and captive brothers in Gaza.”
