Overnight from Sunday, July 20, to Monday, July 21, a World Health Organization (WHO) warehouse in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, was targeted by an Israeli airstrike. The facility burned and its roof collapsed. On Monday afternoon, the building housing the medical agency's staff was also struck by an Israeli projectile. The team was forced to evacuate the area. By Tuesday, one of its members was still being detained by Israeli forces.

Deir al-Balah, home to teams from numerous NGOs and United Nations agencies, is Gaza's humanitarian hub – the main center for aid operations to the population. Its targeting marks a new red line crossed by Israel. Until now, the area had been spared by Israel's offensive. On Tuesday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned "the horror show in Gaza, with a level of death and destruction without parallel in recent times. Malnourishment is soaring. Starvation is knocking on every door."

On July 10, Kaja Kallas, the European Union's head of foreign policy, announced that an agreement had been reached with Israel to allow large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Two weeks later, this arrangement – struck in exchange for the 27 member states refraining from imposing sanctions on Israel – already appears to have been disregarded.

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