A driver for the World Health Organization (WHO) was killed Monday when Israeli forces fired on a vehicle in the eastern sector of Khan Younis, according to medical sources and local reports. The victim, 54-year-old Majdi Aslan, was pronounced dead after being transported to Al-Aqsa Hospital with a gunshot wound to the head.
Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud reported that the shooting occurred on Salah al-Din Street as Israeli forces fired indiscriminately at civilian and aid vehicles. A doctor affiliated with the international organization and several other Palestinians were also wounded in the attack.
Medical evacuations suspended
The WHO confirmed that a "critical security incident" occurred during the morning hours and is currently under review. In response to the shooting, the organization announced the immediate suspension of medical evacuations through the Rafah crossing until further notice.
For months, the WHO has facilitated coordination between Egyptian and Israeli authorities to transport injured Palestinians out of the besieged territory for urgent care. This latest incident halts one of the few remaining lifelines for those in need of treatment unavailable within Gaza’s crippled hospital system.
Local medical sources at Nasser and Al-Aqsa hospitals confirmed the casualty figures. While the Israeli military has maintained a presence in the area, they have not provided a specific statement regarding the targeting of the WHO vehicle.
Violence flared elsewhere in the territory on Monday as well. In the southern part of Khan Younis, witnesses reported that soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian man with special needs. Meanwhile, a drone strike in Gaza City targeted an electric bike, killing a 36-year-old man and leaving a child in critical condition.
Additional strikes were reported in the Yarmouk and Shujayea neighborhoods, where two more Palestinians were killed. According to data from the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 700 Palestinians have been killed since a fragile ceasefire collapsed in October. Hospital officials reported at least eight deaths from Israeli strikes outside of occupied zones since Sunday.
