**Israel’s Ground Assault on Gaza Disrupts WHO Efforts, Worsens Humanitarian Crisis**
The World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned the Israeli military’s attack on its facilities in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, saying it has compromised their efforts to provide aid to the population. The assault has also led to a severe food crisis and warnings of malnutrition among Palestinian civilians.
According to the WHO, Israeli forces attacked and mistreated people sheltering in a building that houses the organization’s staff and family members on Monday. The main warehouse of the WHO was also destroyed, and its staff residence was attacked three times, causing significant damage and a fire. Two WHO staff members and two family members were detained, with one still in detention.
The Israeli military has yet to comment on the attacks against the WHO or the larger offensive in Deir al-Balah. The UN agency has warned that its operational presence in Gaza is now compromised, making it harder to maintain a collapsing healthcare system and push survival further away from more than two million people.
**Humanitarian Crisis Deepens**
Tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have been displaced by the Israeli military’s ground assault on central Gaza, with warnings of a severe food crisis on the whole territory. The UN has reported that malnourished patients are arriving in clinics and hospitals with extremely poor health, while the Hamas-run Health Ministry has said 19 people have died from malnutrition between Saturday and Monday.
The Israeli military ordered the immediate evacuation of six blocks of city in southern Deir al-Balah on Sunday, warning that it would operate “with great forces to destroy the enemy’s capabilities and terrorist infrastructure.” The estimated 50,000-80,000 people who live in the affected areas have been instructed to move south to the al-Mawasi region.
**WHO Demands Protection for Staff**
The WHO has demanded that its detained employee be released immediately and that its other staff members, who had been relocated to Deir al-Balah with their families, are protected. The organization has also condemned attacks against its facilities “in the strongest possible terms.”
**Background to the Conflict**
The Israeli military launched an offensive in Gaza as a response to the Hamas attack on southern Israel that took place on 7 October 2023. In this attack, approximately 1,200 people died and 251 were taken hostage. According to the health ministry of Gaza, at least 59,029 people have died in Gaza since then.
The conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, with around 87.8% of Gaza now covered with Israeli evacuation orders or within Israeli militarized areas, leaving 2.1 million people squeezed into a 46 sq km area of land where essential services have collapsed.
**Families of Hostages Concerned**
Families of hostages held by Hamas have expressed concern about an offensive that could put them in danger. At least 20 hostages are still believed to be alive among the 50 that remain in captivity.
As the humanitarian crisis deepens, the international community is calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The WHO’s efforts to provide aid to the population are now compromised, and it remains to be seen how this will impact the lives of more than two million people living in Gaza.
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