Gaza, MINA – The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an urgent warning after Israeli forces attacked critical WHO facilities in Gaza on Monday, including a building housing staff and their families, and its main warehouse.
Israeli airstrikes reportedly struck the WHO staff shelter in Deir al-Balah three times, causing severe damage and sparking a fire. Staff and their families, including children, were forced to evacuate on foot towards Al-Mawasi amidst active shelling, Quds News reported.
The Israeli military reportedly entered the building, where male staff and their relatives were handcuffed, stripped, and interrogated at gunpoint. Two WHO employees and two family members were detained. Three individuals were later released, but one staff member remains in Israeli custody.
“These attacks place our colleagues in grave danger. Forcing women and children to evacuate under fire is a violation of their fundamental rights,” stated WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
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In a high-risk rescue operation, the WHO evacuated 32 people, including children, to its office. However, the office itself is now near the edge of the evacuation zone and faces ongoing threats.
On the same day, the WHO’s main medical warehouse in Deir al-Balah was attacked. The strike triggered explosions and a fire, destroying supplies. The warehouse was subsequently looted by desperate civilians and is now non-functional.
This loss comes at a critical time, as hospitals in Gaza are collapsing. Fuel, equipment, and medical supplies are rapidly depleting. The WHO stated it is now “severely constrained” in supporting emergency health efforts.
The WHO has relocated dozens of staff from other residences to its office but warned that most staff housing is now inaccessible. The organization fears its operations will come to a halt.
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Recent evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military have impacted several WHO facilities. With 88% of Gaza under evacuation orders or within military zones, the agency said there is now “no safe place to go.”
“The space for humanitarian operations is shrinking rapidly,” the WHO warned, calling on UN member states to ensure the urgent flow of aid, especially medical supplies, into Gaza.
The WHO reiterated its demand for the protection of all humanitarian staff and facilities, and called for the immediate release of its detained staff member.
The organization emphasized that the destruction of health infrastructure and the harassment of humanitarian workers have crossed a line. “A ceasefire is not just needed; it is long overdue,” it asserted. [Shibgho]
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