GENEVA: The World Health Organization on Thursday called for the 鈥渦rgent protection鈥� of two of the last hospitals remaining in the Gaza Strip, warning that the territory鈥檚 health system is 鈥渃ollapsing.鈥�

The WHO said the Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Amal Hospital risk becoming 鈥渘on-functional鈥� because of restrictions on aid and access routes, further damaging a health system already battered by months of war.

鈥淭here are already no hospitals functioning in the north of Gaza. Nasser and Amal are the last two functioning public hospitals in Khan Younis, where currently most of the population is living,鈥� the UN agency said in a statement on X.

鈥淲ithout them, people will lose access to critical health services,鈥� it said.

The WHO added that closure of the two hospitals would eliminate 490 beds and reduce Gaza鈥檚 hospital capacity to less than 1,400 beds 鈥� 40 percent below pre-war levels 鈥� for a population of two million people.

The WHO said the hospitals have not been told to evacuate but lie within or just outside an Israeli-declared evacuation zone announced on June 2.

Israeli authorities have told Gaza鈥檚 health ministry that access routes to the two hospitals will be blocked, the WHO said.

As a result, it will be 鈥渄ifficult, if not impossible鈥� for medical staff and new patients to reach them, it said.

鈥淚f the situation further deteriorates, both hospitals are at high risk of becoming non-functional, due to movement restrictions, insecurity, and the inability of WHO and partners to resupply or transfer patients,鈥� the organization said.

The WHO said both hospitals are already operating 鈥渁bove their capacity,鈥� with patients suffering life-threatening injuries arriving amid a 鈥渄ire shortage of essential medicines and medical supplies.鈥�

It warned the closure of Nasser and Al-Amal would have dire consequences for patients in need of surgical care, intensive care, blood bank and transfusion services, cancer care and dialysis.

After nearly 20 months of war triggered by Hamas鈥檚 October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Gaza is mired in one of the world鈥檚 gravest humanitarian crises, with civilians enduring relentless bombardment, mass displacement and severe hunger.