In brief
In a significant escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the suspension of medical evacuations to Egypt following the fatal shooting of a contractor, Majdi Aslan, by Israeli forces. This incident, described by WHO officials as a 'security incident', has raised serious alarms about the safety of humanitarian operations in the region. Aslan, who was driving a WHO-rented vehicle, was reportedly targeted during a coordinated medical transfer. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the need for civilian and humanitarian worker protection, stating that over 18,000 Palestinian patients are awaiting treatment as the conflict continues to unfold.
The World Health Organization has suspended medical evacuations from Gaza to Egypt via the Rafah crossing after a contractor was killed by Israeli troops on Monday.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the contractor – named locally as Majdi Aslan, 54 – was killed in a security incident and that two staff were present but not injured. He gave no further details.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry stated that the contractor was driving a WHO-rented vehicle in southern Gaza when it was targeted by Israeli forces.
Israel's military said its troops identified an unmarked vehicle approaching them and the Yellow Line, posing an immediate threat, referring to the line marking Israeli-held territory. In response, the troops fired warning shots. The vehicle continued to accelerate toward the troops, who then responded with additional fire that hit the vehicle, it added. The incident is under review.
Tedros stated that the WHO had suspended medical evacuations of sick and wounded Palestinians from Gaza via Rafah to Egypt until further notice, calling for the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers. Hanan Balkhy, the WHO's regional director, described the killing of the contractor as a devastating loss and warned that the suspension was cutting off a critical pathway to care for patients.
At al-Aqsa hospital in central Gaza, a colleague of Majdi Aslan told reporters the vehicle he was driving was clearly marked with the WHO's logo and was part of a coordinated convoy transporting patients. A medic at the hospital remarked that Majdi Aslan had been targeted while co-ordinating the transfer of patients from the Gaza Strip to the Egyptian side.
More than 18,000 Palestinian patients are waiting to leave Gaza for treatment, according to local hospitals and the WHO, as hostilities continue with claims from both Israel and Hamas of violating their ceasefire agreement.
The Rafah crossing has been a pivotal lifeline for patients needing medical care, highlighting the profound implications of this recent violence on humanitarian efforts within the region.
