GENEVA -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that 28 healthcare workers were killed in the past 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. "This is severely limiting the provision of mass trauma management and continuity of health services."

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, he added.