The World Health Organization said Israeli forces struck its staff residence and main warehouse in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Monday, triggering fires, widespread damage, and disrupting critical humanitarian operations. The attacks marked the latest escalation as Israel's military expanded its presence in the southern and eastern sectors of Deir al-Balah, a densely populated area now serving as a hub for displaced civilians and humanitarian aid.
"WHO condemns in the strongest terms the attacks on a building housing WHO staff in Deir al-Balah in Gaza, the mistreatment of those sheltering there, and the destruction of its main warehouse," the organization said in a statement Tuesday. The warehouse, located in an Israeli-declared evacuation zone, sustained damage from an attack Sunday that sparked explosions and a fire inside, the agency reported.
The Israeli military entered the WHO residence, forcing women and children to flee on foot toward Al-Mawasi, a coastal area designated for displaced persons. "Male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot, and screened at gunpoint," WHO said. Two staff members and two family members were detained, with one still in custody as of Tuesday. "WHO demands the immediate release of the detained staff and protection of all its staff," Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated.
Israeli tanks advanced into Deir al-Balah on Monday as part of an operation the military claims is aimed at locating hostages believed to be held by Hamas. Tank shelling struck homes and mosques, killing at least three Palestinians and wounding others, according to local medics. In its daily update, Gaza's Health Ministry reported 130 Palestinians killed and over 1,000 wounded in the past 24 hours, among the highest casualty tolls in recent weeks.
United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the attacks occurred "despite parties having been informed of the locations of UN premises, which are inviolable." He added, "These locations - as with all civilian sites - must be protected, regardless of evacuation orders." UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that Gaza's humanitarian lifelines were "collapsing."
The IDF released a statement after the WHO accusations, asserting that it had been in contact with international organizations prior to operations in Deir al-Balah. "Throughout the war, the IDF has facilitated the safe evacuations of their personnel from evacuated areas, in coordination with the troops and in accordance with operational requirements," the statement read. It did not mention WHO specifically.
Jonathan Whittall, the UN's Gaza coordinator whose visa Israel has said it will not renew, wrote on X, "This death and suffering is preventable. And if it's preventable, but still happening, then that suggests to me that it's intentional." He remains in Deir al-Balah.
The strikes have disrupted efforts to stave off mass hunger. UNRWA, the UN's Palestinian aid agency, posted that it was receiving "desperate messages" from Gaza, warning of starvation even among staff. "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," the agency said.
In a separate incident Monday, Israeli forces reportedly detained Marwan Al-Hams, head of Gaza's field hospitals, during a raid on a Red Cross medical site. Local journalist Tamer al-Zaanein was killed and another was wounded. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it treated patients from the incident but did not comment further.
