WHO says Israeli forces hit its staff residence and main warehouse in Gaza
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Israeli military attack WHO staff residence in Gaza
WHO condemns attacks on its staff residence and warehouse in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah. The agency said its staff compound was hit three times on Monday, with airstrikes sparking fires and causing extensive damage. Two WHO staff and two family members were detained, it said in a post on X, adding that three were later released. At least 12 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured when Israeli tank shells struck a tent encampment in western Gaza City early on Tuesday. The area, now sheltering tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians, has come under intensified bombardment following evacuation orders issued by Israel.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned attacks on its staff residence and warehouse in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, warning that the strikes compromise its ability to deliver humanitarian aid in the besieged enclave.
The agency said its staff compound was hit three times on Monday, with airstrikes sparking fires and causing extensive damage.
“Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward Al-Mawasi amid active conflict. Male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot,and screened at gunpoint,” WHO said.
Two WHO staff and two family members were detained, it said in a post on X, adding that three were later released, while one staff member remained in detention.
“WHO demands the immediate release of the detained staff and protection of all its personnel,” said Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Despite the incident, the organisation said it will remain in Deir al-Balah and expand operations where possible. Its main warehouse, located in an evacuation zone, was also damaged on Sunday by an airstrike that triggered multiple explosions and a large fire.
Shortly after the WHO facility attacks, at least 12 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured when Israeli tank shells struck a tent encampment in western Gaza City early on Tuesday. Medics reported that tanks stationed north of the Shati refugee camp fired two shells into an area sheltering displaced families. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Israeli tanks also pushed into the southern and eastern districts of Deir al-Balah for the first time on Monday. The area, now sheltering tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians, has come under intensified bombardment following evacuation orders issued by Israel. Israeli sources claim the military believes Hamas hostages may be held in the vicinity.
Local medics reported further casualties in Deir al-Balah, with at least three people killed and several wounded in shelling that hit homes and mosques.
The UK and over 20 other nations have called for an immediate ceasefire, criticising Israel’s aid delivery mechanisms after hundreds of Palestinians were killed near food distribution sites in recent weeks.
The war was triggered on October 2023, when Hamas fighters entered southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Since then, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, displaced nearly the entire population, and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis.
WHO has described Gaza’s health system as being “on its knees”, citing acute shortages of fuel, essential medical supplies and an overwhelming number of mass casualties.
Trump ‘caught off guard’ by Israeli strikes on Syria last week
Israel launched strikes on the capital Damascus and the southern Druze-majority city of Sweida last week. The strikes were meant to put pressure on the Syrian government to withdraw its troops from the region. An Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church last week, killed three people and injured 10 others including the parish priest, who used to receive daily calls from the late Pope Francis. The Israeli prime minister called Pope Leo to express regret over the strike on the Gaza church.
Israel launched strikes on the capital Damascus and the southern Druze-majority city of Sweida last week, saying it aimed to put pressure on the Syrian government to withdraw its troops from the region amid ongoing clashes there.
Trump “was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of a Catholic church in Gaza,” spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing on Monday.
“In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations,” she continued.
An Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church last week, killed three people and injured 10 others including the parish priest, who used to receive daily calls from the late Pope Francis.
The Israeli prime minister called Pope Leo to express regret over the strike on the Gaza church, blaming a “stray missile.”
Netanyahu visited the White House earlier this month, his third trip since Trump returned to power in January, and Leavitt praised his relationship with the president, adding they were in “frequent communication.”
Israel and Syria on Friday began a US-brokered ceasefire and on Monday, Syrian authorities evacuated Bedouin families from Sweida.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the ceasefire was largely holding despite isolated gunfire in areas north of Sweida city, with no new reports of casualties.
Last week’s clashes in the southern province killed more than 1,260 people, according to the war monitor, and have shaken the rule of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has pledged to protect minorities in a country devastated by 14 years of war.
In May, Trump met with Sharaa in Saudi Arabia and announced the lifting of many longstanding US sanctions against Damascus.
Trump later praised the leader, who led a major armed group that was once aligned with al-Qaida and toppled the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad in December.
The United States removed a bounty on Sharaa after he came to power.
With Agence France-Presse
WHO says Israeli forces hit its staff residence and main warehouse in Gaza
On Monday, Israeli tanks for the first pushed into southern and eastern districts of Deir al-Balah, an area where Israeli sources said the hostages may be held. On Monday at least 130 Palestinians had been killed and more than 1,000 wounded by Israeli gunfire and military strikes across the territory in the past 24 hours, one of the highest totals in recent weeks. On Tuesday, Israel issued an evacuation order, saying it sought to destroy infrastructure and the capabilities of the militant group Hamas. On Wednesday, Israel said it would not renew Whittall’s visa, claiming he was biased against Israel beyond August. On Thursday, Israel announced it would remain in DeirAlBalah and expand its operations despite the attacks. On Friday, it said the Israeli military attacked its staff residence and main warehouse, compromising its operations in Gaza. On Saturday, it attacked its main warehouse and threatened to take over the entire city. On Sunday, it was attacked three times, with airstrikes causing a fire and extensive damage, and endangering staff and their families.
The WHO said its staff residence was attacked three times, with airstrikes causing a fire and extensive damage, and endangering staff and their families, including children.
On Monday, Israeli tanks for the first pushed into southern and eastern districts of Deir al-Balah, an area where Israeli sources said the military believes hostages may be held. Tank shelling in the area hit houses and mosques, killing at least three Palestinians and wounding several others, local medics said.
In its daily update, Gaza’s health ministry said on Monday at least 130 Palestinians had been killed and more than 1,000 wounded by Israeli gunfire and military strikes across the territory in the past 24 hours, one of the highest such totals in recent weeks.
“Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward al-Mawasi amid active conflict. Male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot, and screened at gunpoint,” the WHO said.
Two WHO staff and two family members were detained, it said in a post on X. It said three were later released, while one staff member remained in detention. Its director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “WHO demands the immediate release of the detained staff and protection of all its staff.”
Deir al-Balah is packed with Palestinians displaced during more than 21 months of war in Gaza, hundreds of whom fled west or south after Israel issued an evacuation order, saying it sought to destroy infrastructure and the capabilities of the militant group Hamas.
But the area is also the main hub for humanitarian efforts in the devastated territory and Gaza health officials have warned of potential “mass deaths” in coming days from hunger.
The WHO describes the health sector in Gaza as being “on its knees”, with shortages of fuel, medical supplies and frequent mass casualty influxes from Israeli attacks.
View image in fullscreen Palestinians desperate for in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood of central Gaza City, on Sunday. Israel has routinely attacked Palestinians seeking food aid. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock
It said its main warehouse, located within an evacuation zone, was damaged on Sunday by an attack that triggered explosions and a fire inside. It said it would remain in Deir al-Balah and expand its operations despite the attacks.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, who earlier said two UN guesthouses had been struck, said the attacks had happened “despite parties having been informed of the locations of UN premises, which are inviolable. These locations – as with all civilian sites – must be protected, regardless of evacuation orders.”
UN secretary-general António Guterres was appalled by an accelerating breakdown of humanitarian conditions in Gaza “where the last lifelines keeping people alive are collapsing,” Dujarric said.
“Israel has the obligation to allow and facilitate by all the means at its disposal the humanitarian relief provided by the United Nations and by other humanitarian organizations,” he said.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) said the agency’s local head in Gaza, Jonathan Whittall, had decided to remain in Deir al-Balah. Last week Israel said it would not renew Whittall’s visa beyond August, claiming he was biased against Israel.
In a series of posts on X early on Tuesday, Whittall said the territory was witnessing “conditions of death” and that “This death and suffering is preventable. And if it’s preventable, but still happening, then that suggests to me that it’s intentional.”
Unrwa, the UN refugee agency dedicated to Palestinians, said on X it was receiving desperate messages from Gaza warning of starvation, including from its own staff, as food prices have soared.
“Meanwhile, just outside Gaza, stockpiled in warehouses, Unrwa has enough food for the entire population for over three months. Lift the siege and let aid in safely and at scale,” it said.
Deir el-Balah resident Abdullah Abu Saleem, 48, told AFP on Monday that “during the night, we heard huge and powerful explosions shaking the area as if it were an earthquake”.
He said this was “due to artillery shelling in the south-central part of Deir el-Balah and the south-eastern area”.
The spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defence agency, Mahmud Bassal, told AFP it had “received calls from several families trapped in the Al-Baraka area of Deir el-Balah due to shelling by Israeli tanks”.
Early on Tuesday health authorities said at least 12 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured when Israeli tanks fired on tents housing displaced families at al-Shati camp in western Gaza City. There was no immediate comment from Israel.
In southern Gaza, the health ministry said an Israeli undercover unit had on Monday detained Marwan Al-Hams, head of Gaza’s field hospitals and the health ministry spokesperson, in a raid that killed a local journalist, Tamer al-Zaanein, and wounded another outside a field medical facility run by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
View image in fullscreen Marwan Al-Hams, head of Gaza’s field hospitals, was seized by an undercover Israeli unit in a raid that killed a Palestinian journalist. Photograph: Reuters
An ICRC spokesperson said the ICRC had treated patients injured in the incident, but did not comment further on their status. It said it was “very concerned about the safety and security” around the field hospital.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Monday more than two dozen western countries called for an immediate end to the war, saying suffering there had “reached new depths”.
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar condemned the countries’ statement, saying any international pressure should be on Hamas, while US ambassador Mike Huckabee called the joint letter “disgusting”.
With Reuters, Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
WHO Accuses Israeli Military Of ‘Attacking’ Staff Residence, Warehouse In Gaza Amid Ceasefire Push
The World Health Organization accuses Israeli forces of attacking its facilities in Gaza. The agency also reported that its main warehouse in the central city of Deir el-Balah had been struck. The accusations come as more than two dozen Western countries issue a unified appeal for an end to hostilities. The call for peace arrives nearly 22 months into a conflict that has displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents and triggered a dire humanitarian crisis. Since late May, the UN says at least 875 people have been killed while trying to access food in Gaza, according to UN figures. Nearly 88% of the territory is now either under evacuation orders or classified as military zones, the U.N. says. “There is no safe place anywhere in the Gaza Strip,” one resident said. ‘I don’t know where we can go.’ “We’re extremely worried the army is preparing for a ground assault,’ said Abdullah Abu Saleem, a 48-year-old resident.
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Israeli forces stormed the UN agency’s compound, ordering women and children to evacuate on foot and detaining male staff members at gunpoint—stripping and interrogating them during the raid. The agency also reported that its main warehouse in the central city of Deir el-Balah had been struck.
“These actions are unacceptable,” Tedros said on social media platform X. “A ceasefire is not just necessary—it is long overdue.”
The health agency also reported that its primary warehouse in Deir el-Balah was struck, disrupting already fragile aid operations in a region teetering on the edge of total collapse.
International Outrage Over Attacks on Humanitarian Sites
The accusations come as more than two dozen Western countries—including the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia, and the European Union—issued a unified appeal for an end to hostilities. Their joint statement urged both a negotiated truce and the swift release of hostages held by Hamas, citing the “new depths” of human suffering unfolding in Gaza.
The group called for a negotiated ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Hamas, and the free, unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
“We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food,” the joint statement read.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar pushed back against the criticism, saying international pressure should be directed at Hamas. Meanwhile, former U.S. Governor Mike Huckabee dismissed the statement as “disgusting.” Egypt, a key regional mediator, voiced support for the Western position.
Shelling Intensifies in Deir el-Balah
The call for peace arrives nearly 22 months into a conflict that has displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents and triggered a dire humanitarian crisis.
The densely populated city of Deir el-Balah, which had not previously seen heavy Israeli ground operations, came under intense shelling on Monday. The bombardment followed a warning from the Israeli military the day before, instructing residents to evacuate.
Initial UN estimates suggest between 50,000 and 80,000 civilians were in the area at the time of the evacuation order.
“During the night, we heard huge and powerful explosions shaking the area like an earthquake,” said Abdullah Abu Saleem, a 48-year-old resident. “We’re extremely worried the army is preparing for a ground assault.”
Others shared similar fears. Hamdi Abu Mughseeb, 50, fled from a tent south of Deir el-Balah at dawn. “There is no safe place anywhere in the Gaza Strip,” he said. “I don’t know where we can go.”
Humanitarian Conditions ‘Extremely Critical’
The situation on the ground continues to deteriorate rapidly. Since late May, the UN says at least 875 people have been killed while trying to access food in Gaza. Nearly 88% of the territory is now either under evacuation orders or classified as military zones, according to UN figures.
Mai Elawawda, a communications officer for UK-based Medical Aid for Palestinians, described the conditions as “extremely critical,” with shelling reported “all around our office.”
Hamdi Abu Mughseeb, 50, fled with his family after overnight strikes shook their makeshift shelter south of the city. “There is no safe place left in Gaza,” he said. “We don’t know where to go.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of an “accelerating breakdown of humanitarian conditions,” citing mounting reports of children and adults suffering from malnutrition.
Hostage Families Alarmed by Evacuation Orders
Families of hostages held by Hamas since the October 2023 attack voiced deep concern over Israel’s latest military push. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said it was “shocked and alarmed” by the evacuation orders in Deir el-Balah and demanded that officials explain how the operation does not endanger the remaining captives.
Of the 251 hostages taken during the October assault, 49 remain in Gaza—27 of whom are believed to be dead, according to the Israeli military.
Mounting Death Toll
Gaza’s health ministry, run by Hamas, reports that 59,029 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began—most of them civilians. On the Israeli side, the war was triggered by a deadly Hamas attack in October 2023, which left 1,219 people dead, primarily civilians, based on figures compiled by AFP.
Due to tight media restrictions and limited access to many areas of Gaza, independent verification of casualties and on-the-ground details remains challenging.
WHO says Israeli military ‘attacked’ its staff residence, warehouse site in Gaza
The WHO has accused the Israeli military of attacking its main warehouse and staff residence in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, on Monday. The attacks have raised serious concerns over the safety of humanitarian workers. Despite the attack, the WHO said it will remain operational and plans to expand its humanitarian efforts. The UK, Canada and over 20 other nations jointly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, expressing deep concern over Israel’s handling of aid distribution. The criticism follows reports that hundreds of Palestinians were killed near food distribution points.
A view of the site of Thursday’s Israeli strike that damaged and destroyed residential buildings, at Shati (Beach) refugee camp, in Gaza City. Reuters
The World Health Organization has accused the Israeli military of attacking its main warehouse and staff residence in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, on Monday—seriously impacting its ability to operate in the region.
According to the UN agency, three airstrikes hit the WHO staff compound, causing a fire, major structural damage, and putting staff and their families—including children—at risk.
On the same day, Israeli tanks advanced into southern and eastern parts of Deir al-Balah for the first time. The Israeli military reportedly suspects hostages may be held in the area. Shelling struck homes and mosques, killing at least three Palestinians and injuring others, according to local medics.
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In a statement, the WHO said Israeli forces entered its premises, forcing women and children to flee on foot amid ongoing hostilities. Male staff and relatives were allegedly handcuffed, stripped, and interrogated at gunpoint.
Two WHO staff members and two family members were detained; three have since been released, while one staff member remains in custody, the agency said in a post on X.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for the immediate release of the detained staff and demanded full protection for all humanitarian personnel.
WHO vows to stay in Gaza despite attack, global calls for ceasefire grow
Deir al-Balah, now crowded with Palestinians displaced by more than 21 months of war, saw hundreds more flee west or south after Israel issued new evacuation orders. The Israeli military said the move aimed to dismantle Hamas’s infrastructure and operational capabilities in the area.
The World Health Organization reported that its main warehouse, located within the newly designated evacuation zone, was damaged in a strike on Sunday, triggering explosions and a fire. Despite the attack, the WHO said it will remain operational in Deir al-Balah and plans to expand its humanitarian efforts.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the UK, Canada and over 20 other nations jointly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, expressing deep concern over Israel’s handling of aid distribution. The criticism follows reports that hundreds of Palestinians were killed near food distribution points, raising alarm over the mounting civilian toll.