Geneva, Oct 4 (IANS): The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that 28 healthcare workers have been killed in 24 hours in Lebanon amid escalating hostilities.

"Many health workers are not reporting to duty as they fled the areas where they work due to bombardments," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a briefing in Geneva on Thursday. "This is severely limiting the provision of mass trauma management and continuity of health services."

He further said that the global health agency will not be able to deliver a large planned shipment of trauma and medical supplies to Lebanon on Friday due to flight restrictions, Xinhua news agency reported.

Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad reported on Thursday that a total of 1,974 people have been killed, including 127 children and 261 women, since the onset of the Hezbollah-Israeli conflict in October last year.

He said many hospitals were directly targeted, exacerbating the strain on Lebanon's health system.

According to a statement issued Thursday by the European Union (EU) delegation to Lebanon, the EU will dispatch 30 million euros ($33.08 million) in humanitarian aid for Lebanon, in addition to the 10 million euros announced Sunday.

The clashes between Israel and Hezbollah intensified on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah began launching rockets toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza. This prompted retaliatory Israeli artillery fire and airstrikes in southeastern Lebanon. (1 euro = $1.10)