WHO says Israeli forces attacked its facilities in Gaza and detained staff

The World Health Organization said the Israeli military attacked its staff residence and main warehouse in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah on Monday, endangering humanitarian workers and compromising relief operations in the besieged Palestinian territory.

The UN agency said its staff accommodation was hit three times, causing a fire and significant damage.

"Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot towards Al-Mawasi amid active conflict. Male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot, and screened at gunpoint," WHO said.

Two agency personnel and two family members were detained during the raid. According to WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , three were later released while one staff member remained in Israeli custody.

"WHO demands the immediate release of the detained staff and protection of all its staff," said Dr. Tedros.

A spokesperson for the agency later said the WHO does not know the reasons behind the detention of its staff by the Israeli authorities, and again urged their release.

The UN agency said its main warehouse in Deir al-Balah, located within an Israeli-declared evacuation zone, was damaged in a separate strike on Sunday, triggering explosions and a fire inside the facility.

The Israeli military was still to respond to these allegations by WHO.

The UN agency vowed to continue and expand its operations in the area, a critical center of humanitarian aid distribution during more than 21 months of war.

Deir al-Balah is densely packed with Palestinians displaced by Israeli bombardment and evacuation orders.

Israeli tanks entered the southern and eastern neighborhoods of the city on Monday for the first time since the conflict began.

Tank shelling in the city hit homes and mosques, killing at least three people and injuring several others, according to medics. Gunfire was reportedly heard throughout the day, and thousands of people fled on foot or using donkey carts, eyewitnesses said.

More than 25 countries, including the UK, France, Canada, Japan and Australia, issued a joint statement on Monday urging an immediate end to the war. The signatories criticized Israel's restriction of aid, describing it as "dangerous" and a violation of international humanitarian law.

The denial by the Israeli government of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable," they said. "Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.

Israel's foreign ministry rejected the statement, saying it was "disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas."

U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, also rejected the statement from many of Washington's closest allies, denouncing it as "disgusting" in a post on X, and said they should instead pressure the "savages of Hamas."

The broader Israeli attack across Gaza left at least 130 Palestinians dead and over 1,000 injured in the past 24 hours, said Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry on Monday.

The cumulative death toll from Israel's war on the besieged territory exceeded 59,000, with widespread destruction of infrastructure and displacement of people.

Israel launched a ground and air attack on Gaza after nearly 1,200 civilians and soldiers were killed and 251 taken hostage during a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

The UN's top humanitarian officials have raised the alarm over a collapsing healthcare system and rising malnutrition in Gaza due to the Israeli war and siege, particularly among children.

WHO said Gaza's health sector was "on its knees" amid critical shortages of fuel, medicines, and medical equipment.

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that two UN guesthouses were also hit in the latest Israeli strikes, despite all parties being informed of their protected status.

"These locations - as with all civilian sites - must be protected, regardless of evacuation orders," he said.

UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed deep concern over what he called an accelerating breakdown of humanitarian conditions. "The last lifelines keeping people alive are collapsing," he said, according to the spokesman.

The head of the UN humanitarian office in Gaza, Jonathan Whittall, whom Israel said would not have his visa renewed, described the situation as "conditions of death," calling the suffering preventable and "intentional."

"Israel has the obligation to allow and facilitate by all the means at its disposal the humanitarian relief provided by the United Nations and by other humanitarian organizations," he said.

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Posts claim Trump administration plans to burn around 500 tons of emergency food. Here's what we know

• In July 2025, a rumor started spreading based on a report in The Atlantic, claiming that the U.S. Department of State was about to destroy $800,000 worth of high-energy biscuits intended for children suffering from malnutrition, at a cost of $130,000, resulting in a total cost of $1 million for U.S. taxpayers.
• The State Department confirmed in an emailed statement that it had ordered the incineration of the food, stored in a Dubai warehouse.
• It added that this situation was "not unique," although the Atlantic report cited "several aid workers" (unnamed) who directly contradicted this assertion, saying they had "never before seen the U.S. government simply give up on food that could have been put to good use."
• newsrealtimereached out to the State Department for clarification on this point and will update this report should we receive a response.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was set to incinerate nearly 500 metric tons (550 imperial tons) of emergency food intended for starving children, according to a rumor that spread online in July 2025.

For example, a post on X relayed the claim, adding that the story was "a tremendous metaphor" for the Trump administration because it was setting "a million dollars up in smoke" ( archived ):

As of this writing, the post had garnered 32,400 views and 2,000 likes. The claim further spread on X, including one post by Rep. Pramila Jayapal ( archived ), a Democrat from the state of Washington. It also appeared on Reddit and Facebook , in a post by Robert Reich, an economist and former secretary of labor under former President Bill Clinton.

In addition, several news real-time readers searched the site and emailed, seeking to confirm the veracity of the rumor. "Is [the] Trump administration incinerating 500 tons of emergency food intended for children rather than distributing?" one wrote.

Indeed, several prominent news outlets had relayed the rumor, including Rolling Stone , The Daily Beast and Gizmodo .

The rumor stemmed from a report in The Atlantic that cited anonymous sources within the U.S. government. It did not mention which part of the government employed these sources. We contacted the White House, which referred us to the State Department. The Department of State, under which USAID operated, confirmed that this food was indeed intended for incineration.

" Unfortunately, this risk is part of always being ready to respond to life-saving humanitarian needs with consumable commodities in remote locations around the world," a department spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "USAID has had to destroy commodities under previous administrations with similar circumstances - this is not unique.

Citing these sources, the report said these high-energy biscuits Were in storage at a warehouse in Dubai, a city and emirate of the United Arab Emirates. The administration of former President Joe Biden had acquired the nutrient-rich biscuits to distribute to children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to The Atlantic. The biscuits, which could have fed 1.5 million malnourished children for one week, had cost $800,000, the sources reportedly told The Atlantic, and their incineration would cost another $130,000, bringing the total bill to nearly $1 million.

The food expired on July 16, 2025, the report said. It had been stored in Dubai for months as staffing and funding cuts prevented USAID , the agency that acquired it, from distributing it.

However, contrary to the assertion by the Department of State that this situation was not unique, The Atlantic's report suggested it was unprecedented. "Several of the aid workers," the reporter said, "reiterated that they have never before seen the U.S. government simply give up on food that could have been put to good use." NewsRealTime contacted the State Department asking them to respond to this point.

While U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified In a congressional hearing on May 21, 2025, it was reported that the food would be distributed. The Atlantic reported that its sources said the order to incinerate the food had already been given by that date.

High-energy biscuits are a type of food that humanitarian and rescue efforts use as an immediate treatment for malnutrition during famines. They are highly caloric and provide essential nutrients, which makes them a temporary solution to help prevent the severe consequences of hunger while crises continue.

We will update this report if more details emerge.

Sources:

Deng, Grace. "What to Know about Trump, Musk and the Dismantling of USAID." newsrealtime , newsrealtime, 5 Feb. 2025, www.newsrealtime/news/2025/02/05/trump-elon-musk-dismantling-usaid . Accessed July 16, 2025.

Kiros, Hana. "The Atlantic." The Atlantic , theatlantic, 15 July 2025, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/07/usaid-emergency-food-incinerate-trump/683532/ . Accessed July 16, 2025.

Madarang, Charisma. "Trump Administration to Set Fire to 500 Tons of Food Aid." Rolling Stone , July 15, 2025, www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-administration-destroy-500-tons-emergency-food-1235386525/ . Accessed July 16, 2025.

Ropek, Lucas. "The White House Has a Plan for All That Foreign Food Aid That DOGE Cut: Burn It." Gizmodo , 15 July 2025, gizmodo.com/the-white-house-has-a-plan-for-all-that-foreign-food-aid-that-doge-cut-burn-it-2000629489. Accessed 16 July 2025.

Sanders, Tom. "Trump Administration to Incinerate 550 Tons of Emergency Food Meant for Children." The Daily Beast , July 15, 2025, www.thedailybeast.com/trump-admin-to-incinerate-500-tons-of-emergency-food-for-children/ . Accessed July 16, 2025.

"What WFP Delivers: High-Energy Biscuits - World Food Program USA." World Food Program USA , September 23, 2017, www.wfpusa.org/news/what-wfp-delivers-high-energy-biscuits/ . Accessed July 16, 2025.

U.S. Department of State. "Secretary Rubio Testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee - 10:00AM." YouTube , May 21, 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAGqh7jvyus . Accessed July 16, 2025.

Budget Hearing - Department of State and Related Programs. House Committee on Appropriations - Republicans , May 13, 2025, appropriations.house.gov/schedule/hearings/budget-hearing-department-state-and-related-programs. Accessed July 16, 2025.

Updates:

July 16, 2025: This report was updated to include a response from the U.S. Department of State, which confirmed it had ordered the food to be incinerated.

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Fox News interrupts show for breaking news alert - as Israel turns back on Rubio

Fox News halted their broadcast to deliver the breaking news that Israel has carried out airstrikes on the Syrian capital following Marco Rubio's pleas for "the fighting to stop."

Fox News Anchors paused their regular programming to announce that the Israeli military has targeted Syria's military headquarters in Damascus. Fox News' Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst reported the violence on Wednesday morning as the network showed shocking footage of smoke pouring out of high-rise buildings.

According to reports by the New York Times , the strikes resulted in "extensive" damage to the region and at least nine injuries to civilians. This update is bad news for the US Secretary of State Rubio, who has expressed his grave concern over the conflict this week. It comes amid alarming fears for Donald Trump's health after shocking new photos of his ankles.

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Violence in Sweida has continued for days, with more than 200 people killed, marking one of the deadliest clashes to impact the area in years. A ceasefire in Sweida was announced on Tuesday, but violence has continued between government forces and Druze fighters since, according to Syrian authorities.

According to reports by Newsweek Rubio told reporters in Washington D.C. that he is "very concerned" about the violence in southern Syria and that he "wants the fighting to stop."

Rubio went on to add, "We're going to be working on that issue as we speak. I just got off the phone with the relevant parties. We're very concerned about it, and hopefully we'll have some updates later today."

The former Senator of Florida is currently serving as Trump's U.S. Secretary of State and has been actively involved in U.S. policy and diplomacy in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Since joining Trump's administration this year, Rubio has expressed a strong pro-Israel stance.

And as Fox News' Yingst continues to cover the growing tensions in the Middle East, he has emphasized the importance of covering the sensitive topic with humanity. In a recent interview with Forbes The journalist said, "I'm often disappointed by the lack of empathy and curiosity that some humans have for one another."

He continued, "With that in mind, I try hard to highlight humanity amid war, to encourage empathy from viewers and to educate our audience in a way that connects, rather than divides."

During his career, the Fox News photojournalist has visited dangerous areas of unrest, including Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Gaza. Speaking on the photos he's captured on his travels, Yingst said, "It's a passion project."

He continued, "I want someone to be able to look at a photo or video I took and say: 'Hey, those people seem just like me.' Most of the time, that's the case. Civilians make up the majority of every conflict we cover around the world."

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Korea selected to host UNESCO's World Heritage Committee for the first time

Delegates at the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee at Unesco headquarters in Paris adopt Decision 15, confirming Busan as the host city for the 48th session in 2026, on July 15. [NEWS1]

Korea has been selected as the hosting country for the upcoming UNESCO World Heritage Committee, marking the first time the country will host the annual meeting since the committee's inception in 1977.

Some 3,000 participants, including delegations from 196 signatory states, the UNESCO director-general, academic experts and representatives from non-governmental organizations, will be gathering in Korea's port city Busan, in July 2026 for the 48th session of the committee.

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The committee announced the decision on Tuesday at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Busan had already been selected as Korea's candidate through a domestic bidding process.

The World Heritage Committee, established under the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, serves as the convention's top decision-making body.

It meets annually to add sites deemed to have outstanding universal value to the World Heritage list and to discuss measures for their preservation.

Only the 21 committee member states may host the meeting. Korea secured its fourth term on the committee last November, which runs through 2027, paving the way to hold the event. It will be the first time Korea hosts the session since joining the convention in 1988.

Choi Eung-chon, head of the Korea Heritage Service, center, and the Korean delegation applaud after Korea is confirmed as the next host of the World Heritage Committee at the 47th session at Unesco headquarters in Paris on July 15. [YONHAP]

Asia has previously hosted several times, with Japan in 1998, China twice in 2004 and 2021, India in 2024, and Qatar and Saudi Arabia representing West Asia in 2014 and 2023, respectively. Korea will become the eighth Asian country to host the meeting.

This year holds special meaning for us as it marks the 30th anniversary of the inscription of Korea's first World Heritage site," said Choi Eung-chon, head of the Korea Heritage Service, in Korea's acceptance speech. "Korea regards the upcoming session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan as a truly meaningful moment to reaffirm the shared responsibility of all humanity for the protection of our common heritage. We are fully committed to ensuring that the next session is organized in an efficient and well-coordinated manner.

Korea currently has 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, including 15 cultural sites and two natural sites. It started with the inscription of Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple, Haeinsa Janggyeong Panjeon and Jongmyo Shrine in 1995. The latest addition is the Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream.

Meanwhile, Choi's term ends at midnight on Tuesday. He took office on May 13, 2022. Paleontologist Huh Min, a professor of geology at Chonnam National University, has been nominated to succeed him. This marks the first time a paleontologist has been appointed to lead the agency since it was reorganized from the Cultural Heritage Administration into the Korea Heritage Service last year.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY KANG HYE-RAN [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]

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