WHO Condemns Attacks on Staff Housing and Warehouse in Gaza, Calls for Immediate Protection and Aid Access.
Geneva/Deir al Balah:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a strong condemnation following a series of attacks on a building housing its staff in Deir al Balah, Gaza, amidst escalating hostilities. The attacks have put humanitarian workers, including women and children, at severe risk and further endangered the already devastated healthcare system in the besieged territory.
According to WHO, its staff residence in Deir al Balah was attacked three times on Thursday after the Israeli military issued a new evacuation order in the area. Airstrikes reportedly caused a major fire and extensive structural damage. The situation rapidly deteriorated when Israeli forces entered the premises.
Women and Children Forced to Flee on Foot
Staff and their families, including children, were subjected to grave trauma as they were forced to evacuate on foot to Al-Mawasi—an area within the ongoing conflict zone. Male staff members and relatives were allegedly handcuffed, stripped, interrogated, and screened at gunpoint. WHO confirmed that two of its staff members and two of their relatives were detained during the incident. Three were later released, but one WHO staff member remains in Israeli custody.
A total of 32 individuals, including women and children, were eventually evacuated to the WHO office in Deir al Balah in a high-risk operation. However, the office itself is now situated dangerously close to the latest evacuation zones and ongoing conflict.
Critical Infrastructure Damaged
Adding to the crisis, WHO’s main warehouse in Deir al Balah, located within the evacuation zone, was severely damaged in a separate attack that triggered fires and explosions inside. This facility was later looted by desperate civilians in search of basic supplies. The warehouse was a critical lifeline, holding most of the medical supplies for Gaza’s collapsing healthcare system.
WHO reports that the destruction of the warehouse, along with the loss of staff housing and intensifying conflict, has severely compromised its operations in Gaza. Humanitarian access is increasingly restricted, and the supply of essential medicines, fuel, and medical equipment is nearly exhausted.
Evacuation and Risk to Staff
WHO revealed that on the night before the attacks, 43 staff members and their families had already been relocated to the WHO office under the cover of darkness due to rising insecurity. With most staff residences now inaccessible, WHO’s operational capacity is further diminished.
Despite these challenges, WHO reaffirmed its commitment to continuing operations in Gaza, stating that it will remain in Deir al Balah and work to expand its support. The organization emphasized that it had shared the geographic coordinates of all its facilities with the relevant authorities and expected them to be respected under international humanitarian law.
Urgent Appeals
The WHO has called on all parties to immediately release the detained staff member and ensure the safety and protection of all humanitarian workers and their premises. The organization stressed that the attacks on its facilities and personnel are part of a broader pattern of systematic destruction of healthcare in Gaza.
With 88% of Gaza now under evacuation orders or within militarized zones, the WHO reiterated the urgent need for a sustained, large-scale humanitarian response. This includes unimpeded entry of food, fuel, and health supplies to prevent further collapse of essential services.
Ceasefire Needed Now
“Life in Gaza is being relentlessly squeezed,” the statement concluded. “The chance to prevent further loss of life and reverse the immense damage to the health system slips further out of reach each day. A ceasefire is not just necessary—it is overdue.”
The WHO’s appeal joins a growing chorus of international organizations demanding immediate de-escalation, protection for civilians and humanitarian workers, and unrestricted access to aid across the Gaza Strip.
