The World Health Organization says its operations in Gaza have been severely
compromised following a series of attacks on its facilities during Israel’s ongoing
ground offensive in the central city of Deir al-Balah.
In a statement released Monday night, the UN health agency condemned what it
described as multiple strikes on a building housing WHO staff and their families,
which it said left them exposed to grave danger, traumatized, and in some cases
detained. The WHO confirmed that its main warehouse in Deir al-Balah was also
damaged by explosions and fire before being looted by desperate civilians.
According to the WHO, Israeli forces entered the staff compound, forcing women and
children to flee on foot toward al-Mawasi while male staff were reportedly handcuffed,
stripped, interrogated, and screened at gunpoint. Two WHO staff and two relatives
were detained; three have since been released, while one remains in custody.
The Israeli military has not yet commented on the WHO’s claims or the broader
offensive in Deir al-Balah.
This marks Israel’s first major ground operation in the city since the war with Hamas
began 21 months ago. The assault has displaced tens of thousands of people amid what
the UN describes as a deepening hunger crisis. Health officials in Gaza report that 19
people have died from malnutrition since Saturday.
On Sunday, the Israeli army ordered the immediate evacuation of six city blocks in
southern Deir al-Balah, warning of intense military action aimed at destroying what it
called “terrorist infrastructure.” Up to 80,000 residents were instructed to move south
toward the al-Mawasi area.
Despite the evacuation orders, UN staff remain in Deir al-Balah, operating from
facilities whose locations have been shared with Israel. The UN has stressed that
humanitarian premises must be protected.
The WHO said the attacks represent part of a “pattern of systematic destruction of
health facilities” and warned that its operational presence in Gaza is now severely
crippled. The agency says this is pushing life-saving aid even further out of reach for
over two million people.
According to the UN, nearly 88% of Gaza is now under Israeli evacuation orders or
militarized zones, forcing the population into increasingly overcrowded areas where
essential services have collapsed.
The Israeli military launched its campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks on
southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and resulted in
251 hostages being taken. The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 59,000 people
have been killed in the territory since then.
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