The World Health Organization (WHO) denounced ‘attacks on Monday against the residence of its staff and its main warehouse in the city of Deir El-Balah, in the Gaza Strip, struck by the Israeli army. Several people were arrested.
‘The residence of WHO staff in Deir El-Balah, in the Gaza Strip, has been attacked three times today, as well as its main warehouse,’ alerted Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the UN health agency, on the social network X.
‘Israeli soldiers entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate the places on foot to Al-Mawassi’, south of Gaza, he said. ‘The male staff and their family members were handcuffed, undressed, interviewed on the spot and checked under the threat of a weapon’.
Two WHO employees and two family members were arrested, said Tedros. Three of them were then released and an ’employee remains in detention’. ‘WHO requires its immediate release and the protection of all its staff, “he insisted.
Mr. Tedros said that 32 WHO employees and family members were evacuated to the agency office when access was possible.
Compromise action capacity
The Israeli army launched a land offensive on Monday in the center of the Gaza Strip and Deir El-Balah was the target of artillery fire. She had ordered residents on Sunday to leave the premises, warning against an imminent action in an area where she had never operated before.
‘The last order of evacuation to Deir El-Balah assigned several WHO premises, compromising our ability to operate in Gaza and pushing the health system towards the collapse,’ warned Mr. Tedros.
He stressed that the main WHO warehouse located in Deir El-Balah was in the evacuation zone and was damaged yesterday [dimanche, ndlr] When an attack caused explosions and a fire inside ‘.
‘The main warehouse that does not work and the majority of medical supplies in Gaza being exhausted, the WHO has a lot of trouble supporting hospitals, emergency medical teams and health partners, which are already cruelly lacking in drugs, fuel and equipment, “he said.
/ATS
