The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that Israeli forces struck its staff residence and main warehouse in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, three times on Monday. The airstrikes caused major fires and damage, putting the lives of staff, children, and families at serious risk. Despite the attack, WHO said it would continue to provide health services in the area, where thousands of displaced Palestinians are seeking shelter.
According to WHO, Israeli tanks entered Deir al-Balah’s southern and eastern districts for the first time, suspecting the presence of hostages. Troops forced women and children to evacuate on foot while male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, and interrogated at gunpoint. WHO confirmed that two staff and two family members were taken into custody, though three were later released. One staff member remains detained.
In addition, WHO’s main warehouse — located inside an evacuation zone — was also hit by an airstrike that triggered fires and explosions, severely disrupting the agency’s humanitarian operations. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus demanded the release of detained staff and protection for all medical workers operating in Gaza.
Deir al-Balah is now overcrowded with families displaced by over 21 months of war. Many had already fled there due to earlier evacuations. However, recent Israeli evacuation orders have pushed even more civilians west and south. Local medics reported that Israeli shelling killed at least three Palestinians on Monday and wounded several more.
Meanwhile, more than 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, have demanded an immediate end to the war and criticized Israel’s aid delivery model. Hundreds of Palestinians have reportedly died while trying to collect food near aid distribution points, intensifying global calls for a ceasefire.
Since the conflict began in October 2023, over 59,000 Palestinians have been killed, and nearly the entire population has been displaced. The WHO warns that Gaza’s healthcare system is collapsing due to fuel shortages, destroyed infrastructure, and constant mass casualty emergencies.