WHO says Israeli strikes hit staff housing, main warehouse in Gaza

The World Health Organization (WHO) says its operations in Gaza have been severely compromised after Israeli forces struck a facility sheltering staff and destroyed its main warehouse. Several staff members were detained, with one still in custody.

The WHO said in a statement on Monday it “condemns in the strongest terms the attacks on a building housing WHO staff in Deir al Balah, the mistreatment of those sheltering there, and the destruction of its main warehouse.”

According to the statement, the staff residence in central Gaza was attacked three times following intensified hostilities and airstrikes in the area after an Israeli evacuation order.

“Staff and their families, including children, were exposed to grave danger and traumatized after airstrikes caused a fire and significant damage,” the statement said. “Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward Al-Mawasi amid active conflict.”

WHO said male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, and interrogated at gunpoint by Israeli forces. Two WHO staff and two family members were detained, with one staff member still in custody. The organization said most of its staff housing in Gaza is now inaccessible.

WHO’s main warehouse in Deir al Balah, located within the evacuation zone, was damaged in an earlier strike that caused explosions and fire inside. The facility, which held critical medical supplies, was later looted by “desperate crowds.”

WHO described the attack as part of a “pattern of systematic destruction of health facilities.”

With its primary warehouse nonfunctional and most supplies depleted, WHO said it is now severely limited in its ability to support hospitals, emergency medical teams, and other partners. The agency called on member states to help ensure a steady and safe flow of aid into Gaza, including medicine, fuel, and medical equipment.

“Life in Gaza is being relentlessly squeezed, and the chance to prevent loss of lives and reverse immense damage to the health system slips further out of reach each day,” the WHO said. “A ceasefire is not just necessary, it is overdue.”