'Beyond Words': WHO Director Makes Tearful Plea for Gaza Ceasefire

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, has gone viral after making a tearful plea for a ceasefire in Gaza during an Executive Board session in Geneva on January 25.

Footage from the session shows Ghebreyesus addressing the board on the work of the WHO in health emergencies.

Ghebreyesus spoke on the high death toll of the conflict in Gaza, exacerbated by the poor conditions in many hospitals.

According to Ghebreyesus, 70 percent of those killed were women and children, a figure he brought up multiple times in his address.

Ghebreyesus said: “So that’s what I would like to underline. I think if we look for a solution it’s always possible. It’s only the will that’s required. And I am a true believer because of my own experience that war doesn’t bring solution except more war, more hatred. More agony, more destruction. So let’s choose peace. And resolve this issue politically. I think all of you have said, the two-state solution and so on. And hope this war will end move into a true solution.”

Ghebreyesus paused, wiping his eyes as he concluded: “Struggling to speak because… because the situation is beyond words. Thank you very much.” Credit: World Health Organization via Storyful

Video Transcript

TEDROS GHEBREYESUS: But forget the rest, even that the 70% dead women and children would be enough for a ceasefire. And that's why I said, it's long overdue. So that's what I would like to underline.

I think-- if we look for a solution, it's always possible. It's only the will that's required. And I'm a true believer because of my own experience that war doesn't bring solution-- Except more war, more hatred, more agony, more destruction.

So let's choose peace and resolve this issue politically. I think all of you have said the two state solution and so on. And hope this war will end and move into a true solution. Struggling to speak because-- because the situation is beyond words.

Thank you very much.