The World Health Organization on Monday accused Israeli forces of attacking its facilities in Gaza, including a staff residence and its main warehouse, as fighting intensified in the central city of Deir el-Balah.
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.
