WHO Staffer Fatally Shot by Israeli Forces in Gaza

A Palestinian employee of the World Health Organization (WHO) was fatally shot by Israeli gunfire in Gaza on Monday, April 6, his colleagues and a doctor confirmed. The deceased has been identified as Majdi Aslan, 54.

According to Dr. Fathi Al-Loulou, who received Aslan's body, the WHO driver was travelling along Salah al-Din Road, the primary north-south route in Gaza, in a vehicle bearing international markings when the shooting took place.

Another WHO staff member, Raed Aslan, informed CNN that the vehicle was on a mission to evacuate patients and was visibly marked with the World Health Organization emblem on all sides.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) provided a different account of the events. In a statement, the IDF indicated that their soldiers had identified an unmarked vehicle approaching the "Yellow Line," which denotes the boundary between Israeli-controlled territory and the rest of the Gaza Strip, perceiving it as an immediate threat.

The IDF stated that warning shots were fired, but the vehicle continued to accelerate towards the troops, prompting them to return fire, which subsequently struck the vehicle. A preliminary investigation by the IDF suggested that two local Gaza employees of the WHO were inside the vehicle and sustained injuries.

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesu expressed the organization's profound sorrow over Aslan's death in what he described as a "security incident." He noted that two WHO staff members were in the vehicle, although he stated they were not injured.

Ghebreyesu did not directly attribute the incident to Israeli forces in his statement. He mentioned that the event was currently under investigation by the relevant authorities.

Footage circulated on social media depicted a scene of mourning at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, where Aslan's body was brought, with several men surrounding him in distress.

"Wake up, dad, wake up!" one man was heard shouting in anguish.

Dr. Al-Loulou described the incident as a war crime, stating, "He works for an international organization, under international sponsorship, but the occupation is merciless and indiscriminate…it was a targeted attack."

This development occurs approximately six months after a ceasefire was established in Gaza, a period during which aid organizations report that the pause in hostilities has been largely nominal.

Data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health indicates that over 700 Palestinians, including at least 100 children, have been killed since the ceasefire began.

The WHO has also reported that more than 18,500 critically ill patients, among them approximately 4,000 children, are in need of medical evacuation from Gaza.