Escalation of Violence in Gaza Amid Calls for Ceasefire
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that its facilities in Gaza were attacked by Israeli forces, intensifying global calls for an immediate ceasefire as Israel expands military operations into the central city of Deir el-Balah. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the incident, stating that Israeli military forces entered the UN agency’s staff residence, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot while male staff were handcuffed, stripped, and interrogated at gunpoint.
This comes as more than two dozen Western countries have urged an immediate end to the conflict, citing the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The situation has reached a critical point after over 21 months of fighting, which has left more than two million people in dire conditions. Countries such as Britain, France, Australia, Canada, and the European Union released a joint statement emphasizing that the war “must end now.” They called for a negotiated ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants, and the unrestricted flow of aid.
Tedros condemned an attack on the WHO’s main warehouse in Deir el-Balah, reinforcing the call for a ceasefire. “A ceasefire is not just necessary, it is overdue,” he stated on X. However, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticized the statement, arguing that international pressure should target Hamas instead. Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called the joint letter “disgusting.”
Egypt, a key mediator in the conflict, supported the message from Western nations. The plea for peace came as Deir el-Balah faced intense shelling following an evacuation order issued by Israel’s military. Residents had been warned of imminent action in an area where Israel had not previously operated. Initial estimates from the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA indicated that between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in the area when the order was issued.
Residents described the chaos and fear. Abdullah Abu Saleem, a 48-year-old from Deir el-Balah, recounted hearing powerful explosions during the night, comparing the sound to an earthquake. He expressed concern that the army might be planning a ground operation.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
Western countries also criticized Israel’s aid delivery model in Gaza, calling it “dangerous” and detrimental to stability. The UN has recorded 875 deaths in Gaza related to food access since late May, when Israel began easing a prolonged aid blockade. The statement condemned the “drip feeding of aid” and the “inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted the worsening humanitarian conditions, noting reports of malnutrition among children and adults. In Deir el-Balah, AFP images showed plumes of dark smoke rising into the sky. Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal reported that several families were trapped in the Al-Baraka area due to Israeli tank shelling.
Since the start of the conflict, nearly all of Gaza’s population has been displaced multiple times due to repeated evacuation orders. According to OCHA, 87.8 percent of the territory is now under evacuation orders or within Israeli militarized zones.
Hamdi Abu Mughseeb, 50, described fleeing northward from his tent south of Deir el-Balah after a night of intense shelling. “There is no safe place anywhere in the Gaza Strip,” he said, adding that he did not know where to go.
Mai Elawawda, communications officer for Medical Aid for Palestinians, called the situation “extremely critical,” describing shelling “all around our office.”
Hostage Families Express Concern
Families of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel expressed shock and alarm over the evacuation orders in Deir el-Balah. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum demanded clear explanations about the risks posed to hostages during the offensive. Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 49 remain in Gaza, with 27 reportedly dead according to Israeli military sources.
Civil defense spokesman Bassal reported at least 15 people killed by Israeli forces across Gaza on Monday. Due to media restrictions and limited access, AFP cannot independently verify the tolls and details provided by agencies and other parties.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of 59,029 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run territory. Hamas’s 2023 attack led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, based on an AFP tally using official figures.
