WHO condemns Israeli raid on Gaza residence and warehouse attack
The World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned Israeli military actions in central Gaza, saying its operations have been severely disrupted after a staff residence and a main warehouse in Deir al-Balah came under attack on Monday.
The UN health agency accused Israeli forces of targeting a building where WHO staff and their families were sheltering, as well as destroying its primary warehouse. The Israeli military has not yet issued a response, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
In a statement late Monday, WHO said the staff residence was hit three times by airstrikes, causing fires and significant damage. Women and children were reportedly forced to evacuate on foot toward al-Mawasi amid ongoing fighting, while male staff and relatives were “handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot, and screened at gunpoint.”
Two WHO staff members and two relatives were detained, with three released later; one WHO staff member remains in Israeli custody, the organization said.
“The attacks placed staff and their families, including children, in grave danger and left them traumatized,” WHO stated, demanding the immediate release of its detained employee.
The agency reported that its warehouse in Deir al-Balah was damaged by an attack that triggered explosions and fire. Looting by desperate civilians followed. The WHO warned its ability to operate in Gaza is now “compromised, crippling efforts to sustain a collapsing health system” for the enclave’s 2.1 million residents.
The Israeli ground offensive in Deir al-Balah — the first major operation there since the start of the war with Hamas 21 months ago — has displaced tens of thousands. The Hamas-run health ministry said 19 people have died from malnutrition since Saturday, while the UN is reporting severe hunger across the territory.
On Sunday, Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of six city blocks, affecting up to 80,000 residents, warning of intense operations to destroy Hamas infrastructure. According to the UN, nearly 88% of Gaza is now either under evacuation orders or designated as militarized “no-go” zones, leaving civilians crammed into 46 sq km of land with collapsing essential services.
Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. At least 59,029 people have been killed in Gaza since, according to local health officials.
Hostage families have voiced concerns that ongoing offensives in Deir al-Balah could endanger at least 20 of the 50 remaining captives believed to be alive.
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