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 reported that its troops identified an unmarked vehicle approaching them and the Yellow Line, posing an immediate threat, indicating that they fired warning shots before further addressing the perceived threat.
Tedros confirmed that the WHO had suspended medical evacuations of sick and wounded Palestinians from Gaza until further notice. We call for the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, he added.
The situation raises serious concerns as more than 18,000 Palestinian patients await treatment, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Hanan Balkhy, WHO's regional director, expressed that the killing of the contractor was a devastating loss and highlighted the suspension's impact on patient care access.
Amid ongoing violence, the Rafah crossing had reopened in early February for limited movement, but tensions remain high as both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of ceasefire violations.
As conflict continues, at least 733 Palestinians have been reported killed in Gaza since the onset of the ceasefire last October, emphasizing the dire state of civilian safety and humanitarian access.
