WHO Condemns Strikes on Staff Premises and Health Infrastructure in Gaza
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a strong condemnation following a series of targeted attacks on a facility housing its staff in Deir al Balah, central Gaza. The attacks, which came amidst intensified hostilities and a new evacuation directive by the Israeli military, left staff and their families—including children—exposed to grave danger. Fires and extensive damage followed the strikes, creating panic and trauma among those sheltering within.
According to WHO, the Israeli military forcibly entered the residence, compelling women and children to flee on foot through areas of active conflict. Male staff members were reportedly detained, stripped, interrogated at gunpoint, and handcuffed. Of the four individuals detained—two WHO staff and two of their family members—three were later released, while one staff member remains in Israeli custody.
In a high-risk mission, WHO successfully evacuated 32 individuals to its office, which is also located in a volatile zone close to ongoing fighting. The escalating violence has rendered most WHO staff accommodations inaccessible, with 43 staff and families forced to relocate under the cover of night to safer, though still vulnerable, premises.
Compounding the crisis, WHO’s main warehouse in Deir al Balah was severely damaged by recent strikes, triggering explosions and a fire. The warehouse, later looted by desperate civilians, had stored essential medical supplies critical for supporting Gaza’s collapsing health infrastructure.
With operations now heavily disrupted and medical stockpiles nearly depleted, WHO warns that its ability to assist hospitals and emergency medical teams is rapidly diminishing. The agency is calling on Member States to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of medical supplies and humanitarian aid into Gaza.
WHO demands the immediate release of its detained staff member and insists that all health workers, facilities, and humanitarian missions be protected from attack, in line with international humanitarian law.
