WHO voices concern about health worker detentions in Gaza

GENEVA: The head of the World Health Organization on Tuesday said he was concerned about the prolonged checks of medical supply convoys in the Gaza Strip and the detention of health workers after such an incident led to the death of a patient in critical condition.

In a post on the X social media platform, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a WHO-led mission to Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza on Saturday was stopped twice at the Wadi Gaza checkpoint, run by the Israeli Defence Forces, on the way to north Gaza and on the way back.

He said some staff of the Palestine Red Crescent Society also were detained on both occasions.

“We are deeply concerned about prolonged checks and detention of health workers that put lives of already fragile patients at risk,” Tedros said.

The mission transferred 19 critical patients and delivered trauma and surgical supplies to cover the needs of 1,500 patients at Al-Ahli Hospital, which has sustained significant damage since the conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted in October.

WHO said two Palestine Red Crescent Society staff were detained for more than an hour on their way to the hospital.

“WHO staff saw one of them being made to kneel at gunpoint and then taken out of sight, where he was reportedly harassed, beaten, stripped and searched,” it said in a statement.

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When the convoy entered Gaza City, the aid truck carrying the medical supplies and one of the ambulances were hit by bullets, WHO said.

On the convoy’s way back, Tedros said that some patients and Red Crescent health workers were instructed at the checkpoint to leave the ambulances in order to be identified.

“Some health workers were held and questioned for several hours,” Tedros said.

“Due to the hold-up, one patient died en route, given the grave nature of their wounds and the delay in accessing treatment.”

Health workers have been detained on previous missions to Gaza health facilities. On Nov. 18, six people were detained during a WHO-led mission to move patients from Al-Shifa Hospital. Four of those people remain detention, WHO said.