Israel-Gaza war live updates: State of Gaza’s health system prompts dire warnings as fierce fighting rages

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel to do more for civilian safety in Gaza. “I think the intent is there, but the results are not always manifesting themselves,” he said Sunday on CNN, adding that Israel should also take steps to facilitate aid delivery and provide clarity over safe areas as its forces press south.

The United Nations will hold an emergency special session of the General Assembly on Tuesday upon the request of Egypt and Mauritania, following the United States’ veto of a cease-fire resolution backed by the majority of the U.N. Security Council.

U.N. Secretary General António Guterres warned Sunday that the Security Council is “paralyzed by geostrategic divisions” that have “severely undermined” its authority and credibility. Speaking at the Doha Forum in Qatar, Guterres said public order in Gaza is expected to “completely break down soon.”

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned Sunday that the city of Rafah, bordering Egypt, is under severe strain as tens of thousands of displaced people in desperate need of food and shelter flee to southern Gaza. Guterres said there was a risk of mass displacement into Egypt as the situation in Gaza worsens.

The WHO’s executive board adopted a resolution calling for the passage of lifesaving aid inside Gaza, including access for medical personnel. It was the first time a resolution on the conflict was adopted by consensus within the U.N. system since Oct. 7, it said.

At least 17,997 people have been killed in Gaza and more than 49,229 wounded since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. At least 1,200 people were killed in Israel during Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.