WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization was "shocked" by the incident, adding: "Our condolences go out to the family, loved ones, and colleagues of the deceased. The incident is under investigation by the relevant authorities." He added that two WHO staff members were present at the time of the incident and were unharmed.
Tedros explained that medical evacuations through Rafah are suspended until further notice, and stressed his appreciation for the efforts of humanitarian workers, calling for the protection of civilians and workers, and emphasizing that "peace is the best medicine."
In this context, the Ministry of Health in Gaza stated that the Israeli army's targeting of a vehicle rented by the World Health Organization (WHO) while it was carrying out a routine mission in the southern Gaza Strip aims to undermine the work of humanitarian organizations and impose further restrictions.
The ministry said in a statement that it condemns the Israeli army's targeting on Monday morning of a vehicle rented by the WHO, which was carrying several of its staff members "while they were carrying out a routine work mission in the areas designated as green zones in Khan Younis Governorate in the southern Gaza Strip."
The Rafah crossing is the only border crossing for leaving Gaza without passing through Israeli territory. Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side of it during their offensive in May 2014, leading to its near-continuous closure ever since.
Since the ceasefire agreement came into effect after the October 2023 war, the Israeli army has committed daily violations, resulting in the killing of 723 Palestinians and the wounding of 1,990 others, with the continued widespread destruction of infrastructure in the sector, 90% of which has been destroyed, while the number of Palestinian deaths has reached more than 72,000, and the number of wounded has reached more than 172,000.
