Israeli Tanks Storm Deir al-Balah, WHO Staff Attacked As Hostage Families Beg For Mercy

Israel sends tanks into Gaza's Deir al-Balah. (Photo: Reuters via ANI)

Cairo (Egypt): The tanks entered before sunrise. Engines growled through the shattered streets of Deir al-Balah. Heavy tracks crushed the silence. Residents ran toward the west. Others gathered what little they could carry and followed a trail of smoke into the unknown.

The Israeli army reached new districts in southern Gaza on Monday. Its target is neighbourhoods inside Deir al-Balah. Local reports say the tanks moved deep, not near the outskirts.

The area is dense. Shelters packed. Thousands living in tents. Most of them already displaced. First from the north. Then again from central Gaza. Then again. Nowhere to go. No place untouched.

Inside the chaos, artillery shells landed on homes and mosques. Three people died. More were injured. Medics rushed through dust-filled corridors. At one mosque, the roof collapsed. Children pulled from underneath. Screams followed.

Israeli sources told media outlets they believe hostages might be hidden nearby. That possibility led the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) to push deeper. That belief sparked the assault.

In one corner of the city, a guesthouse caught fire. The building belonged to the World Health Organization. Flames lit the night sky. Glass shattered. Staff and families ran barefoot through alleys. Children screamed. The air thick with smoke and fear.

The WHO confirmed the strike. Three attacks. One building. Dozens trapped inside. Male staff stripped and tied. Women pushed out of doors under threat. The soldiers searched everything. They questioned, scanned and detained.

Two WHO workers and two relatives were taken. Only three came back. One remains missing.

A few streets away, another facility was hit. A warehouse stocked with health supplies now lies in ruins. Burnt cartons. Broken medical kits. A place once meant to save lives now silent.

Despite everything, the WHO chose to stay. Their words were clear. “We will expand our operations.” Their tone calm. Their decision resolute.

Farther south in Khan Younis, an airstrike ripped through a tent. Five dead. A husband, a wife, two children and a neighbour. Medics worked through tears. There was no time to pause.

More than 130 deaths in 24 hours. That is what Gaza’s Health Ministry reported. Over 1,000 wounded. Hospitals are collapsing. Fuel gone. Food low. Medicines finished.

The head of Gaza’s field hospitals, Dr. Marwan al-Hams, was taken during a raid outside a Red Cross medical site. One journalist died. Another was injured. No ambulance reached them. No statement came from Israel. Silence followed.

In Deir al-Balah, U.N. staff stayed inside offices. They heard the shelling. Two U.N. guesthouses were hit. Everyone inside took cover. Their location was known. Coordinates shared long ago. Still, the buildings were not spared.

Health workers now survive on one meal daily. Hospital floors fill up with the sick and the starved. Children cry from hunger. Old men faint in waiting lines. Mothers whisper prayers.

The Health Ministry warned again. More hunger deaths will come. Nineteen already lost since Saturday. And the food still waits. Warehouses full. Trucks parked across the border. Rice, flour and lentils ready to move. But the gates stay closed.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff inside Gaza send messages. Some say their own children have stopped eating. Food prices break records. One loaf of bread now costs more than a full day’s wage.

Outside, in a different world, over 20 nations demand a ceasefire. Britain led the call. They criticised the aid system. Said it failed. Said too many had died waiting for handouts. Their voices echoed through diplomatic halls.

Israel pushed back. Said the criticism was misplaced. Said it gave Hamas the wrong idea. No pause followed.

Families of hostages gathered again. They held signs. They asked questions. They received no clear answers. They warned of the cost. Their words carried weight. Their faces told the rest.

Since October 7, 2023, the war continues. That morning, Hamas gunmen crossed into Israel. Over 1,200 killed. Around 251 were held hostage and taken to Gaza. The military response has since left over 59,000 Palestinians dead. Every part of Gaza hit. No area untouched.

Today, Gaza stands on edge. Its people tired. Its cities scarred. Aid blocked. Talks stalled. Lives in limbo. And still, the smoke rises.