Gaza: The World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned attacks on its facilities and staff in central Gaza, stating that its operations in the war-torn enclave have been crippled by Israel’s ongoing ground offensive in Deir al-Balah.
The UN agency said its staff residence in Deir al-Balah was struck three times, with air strikes triggering fires and significant damage. WHO officials reported that women and children were forced to flee on foot with active conflict, while male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot, and screened at gunpoint by Israeli forces. Two WHO employees and two relatives were detained; three have since been released, while one staff member remains in Israeli custody.
The agency demands the immediate release of the detained staffer and protection for all humanitarian workers in Gaza. The WHO’s main warehouse in Deir al-Balah was also severely damaged following an attack that sparked explosions and a fire. The facility was later looted by desperate civilians, further depleting the territory’s dwindling medical supplies.
.@WHO’s staff residence in Deir al Balah, #Gaza, was attacked three times today as well as its main warehouse.
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… pic.twitter.com/PGjaYrhkfH
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) July 21, 2025
Though the agency did not assign blame directly, it said the incidents formed as a part of a pattern of systematic destruction of health facilities and warned that its ability to support Gaza’s collapsing health system was now severely impaired.
The Israeli military has yet to respond to the WHO’s allegations or comment on the broader operation in Deir al-Balah, which marks its first major ground campaign in the area since the war with Hamas began 21 months ago. According to the UN, the offensive has already displaced tens of thousands of civilians and intensified an already dire hunger crisis across the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of six densely populated blocks in southern Deir al-Balah, warning of heavy combat operations aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure. Between 50,000 and 80,000 residents were instructed to flee south toward the already overwhelmed al-Mawasi area. Despite the evacuation order, the UN said its personnel would remain in Deir al-Balah, stationed at facilities whose coordinates were shared with the Israeli authorities.
Humanitarian agencies have voiced alarm over the deteriorating situation, with reports of malnourished civilians arriving at clinics in extremely poor condition.
Meanwhile, Israeli media outlet reported that the military’s aim in Deir al-Balah includes establishing a corridor to cut the city off from the al-Mawasi area, restricting movement between key refugee camps in central Gaza.
UN figures indicate that approximately 87.8 percent of Gaza is now either under evacuation orders or designated as militarized zones by Israel, squeezing more than 2.1 million people into an area of just 46 square kilometres, where access to basic services has all but collapsed.
Deir al-Balah had previously been spared major ground operations, in part due to intelligence suggesting Israeli hostages may be held in the area. Of the 50 hostages still believed to be in captivity, at least 20 are thought to be alive, according to Israeli sources. Families of the captives have expressed deep concern that the new offensive could put their loved ones at further risk.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left approximately 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage. Since then, Gaza’s health ministry reports that at least 59,029 people have been killed in the territory.
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