WHO halts Gaza medical evacuations after worker killed

Lead

GENEVA — The World Health Organization (WHO) has suspended medical evacuations of patients from Gaza to Egypt via the Rafah border crossing until further notice, following the killing of a contractor in a security incident, according to an announcement by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Coverage comparison

Reports from Al Jazeera, the BBC, and the Jerusalem Post confirm that the suspension took effect on Monday and will remain until further notice. The decision was announced by Tedros on X, who said the agency was "devastated to confirm that a person contracted to provide services to the organisation in Gaza was killed today during a security incident." Two WHO staff members were present at the time but were not injured.

Key claims

The contractor has been identified locally as Majdi Aslan, 54, whose funeral was held in central Gaza, according to the BBC. The Jerusalem Post, citing the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, reported that Aslan was driving a WHO-rented vehicle in southern Gaza when it was targeted by Israeli forces. The Israeli military, as quoted by the BBC, said its troops "identified an unmarked vehicle approaching them and the Yellow Line, posing an immediate threat... 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." The military added that the incident is under review.

A colleague of Aslan, speaking at al-Aqsa hospital, disputed the Israeli account, telling reporters that the vehicle was "clearly marked with the WHO's logo on all sides" and was at the front of a coordinated convoy transporting patients when it came under fire from an Israeli tank. "The tank came out directly and targeted the driver so that he would stop," said Raed Aslan, who added that there were three people in the vehicle. "The driver is the one who paid the price for the situation we are living in."

Perspectives

The Rafah crossing, which was reopened in February as part of the ceasefire deal, is the only point of access to outside medical care for Palestinians in Gaza. The WHO has been coordinating evacuations through the crossing, but numbers have reportedly remained low due to extensive security checks. More than 18,000 patients are currently waiting to leave Gaza for medical treatment, according to WHO figures.

The suspension of medical evacuations has raised concerns about the fate of these patients. Hanan Balkhy, WHO's regional director, described the killing as "a devastating loss" and warned that suspending evacuations was "cutting off a critical pathway to care for patients." The WHO chief has called for "the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers." The incident has also highlighted the fragile security situation in Gaza, where a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely held but has been marred by periodic violence. Reports from Al Jazeera have cited Palestinian officials accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire, while the Israeli military has stressed that it considers the incident under review. The Rafah crossing had previously been closed for months before its reopening, and it remains a critical lifeline for the movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza.