Deir Al-Balah/Geneva, July 23: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday accused Israeli forces of striking its staff residence and main warehouse in the southern Gaza city of Deir al-Balah, in a series of attacks that further threaten humanitarian operations in the war-torn enclave.
The WHO said its staff accommodation was targeted three times, causing fires and significant structural damage that endangered the lives of employees and their families, including children. The Israeli military also entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot amid active conflict.
“Male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot, and screened at gunpoint,” the WHO said in a statement posted on social media platform X. Two WHO staff and two relatives were detained; three have since been released while one staff member remains in custody.
“I am deeply concerned. WHO demands the immediate release of the detained staff and protection of all humanitarian workers,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The warehouse, located within an Israeli-designated evacuation zone, was struck on Sunday, triggering explosions and a fire. Despite the attack, the WHO said it would remain operational in Deir al-Balah and expand its presence.
Israeli tanks pushed into the southern and eastern outskirts of Deir al-Balah on Monday, reportedly searching for Hamas infrastructure and possible hostages. Tank fire hit homes and mosques, killing at least three Palestinians and wounding several others, according to local medics.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 130 people had been killed and more than 1,000 wounded by Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours – among the deadliest daily tolls in recent weeks.
The United Nations and humanitarian agencies warned of deteriorating conditions, describing Gaza’s health sector as “on its knees,” with chronic shortages of medical supplies, fuel, and overwhelming numbers of casualties.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the attacks on WHO facilities came “despite parties having been informed of the locations of UN premises, which are inviolable.” Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the escalating humanitarian crisis, warning that “the last lifelines keeping people alive are collapsing.”
The UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Gaza, Jonathan Whittall, said he would remain in Deir al-Balah despite Israeli refusal to renew his visa beyond August. In a post on X, he said the suffering in Gaza was “preventable” and “intentional.”
Elsewhere in the strip, at least 12 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded when Israeli tanks shelled tents housing displaced families at al-Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City, health authorities said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
In southern Gaza, an Israeli undercover unit reportedly detained Marwan Al-Hams, head of Gaza’s field hospitals, in a raid near a Red Cross-run facility. The operation also killed journalist Tamer al-Zaanein and wounded another. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had treated victims but declined to comment further.
More than two dozen Western nations issued a joint call on Monday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, warning that the humanitarian situation had “reached new depths.” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed the appeal, arguing that international pressure should focus on Hamas. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called the joint statement “disgusting.”
Gaza has been gripped by more than 21 months of war, with nearly all civilians displaced at least once. UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said it had food supplies stockpiled outside the enclave sufficient to feed the population for three months, but that aid has been unable to enter due to the Israeli blockade. “Lift the siege and let aid in safely and at scale,” UNRWA urged.
