WHO Suspends Gaza Evacuations After Worker Killed

The World Health Organization suspended all medical evacuations from Gaza to Egypt on Monday after a contracted worker was killed by Israeli gunfire while driving a marked agency vehicle in the territory.

Majdi Aslan, a 54-year-old Palestinian who served as a driver for WHO operations, died from gunshot wounds sustained during the incident along Salah al-Din Road, the main north-south route in Gaza. According to colleagues and medical officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where his body was taken, Aslan was transporting two other WHO staff members on a mission to evacuate patients when the vehicle came under fire. The staff members were present but uninjured, the agency confirmed. The shooting occurred near a demarcation line in an area of ongoing military activity.

The Israel Defense Forces provided a contrasting account, stating that troops identified an unmarked vehicle approaching their position and posing an immediate threat. Soldiers fired warning shots, but the vehicle accelerated, prompting additional fire that struck it, the IDF said. A preliminary review indicated two local WHO employees were in the vehicle and possibly injured, though the agency reported no injuries...