From the Guardian's live update feed.
UN humanitarian office accuses Israel of strip-searching and detaining paramedics from medical evacuation convoy
The UN has accused Israeli forces in Gaza of stalling a medical evacuation convoy in Khan Younis and forcing paramedics to strip for searches before detaining them.
In comments made in Geneva, Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA), told reporters:
Despite prior coordination for all staff members and vehicles with the Israeli side, the Israeli forces blocked the WHO-led (World Health Organization) convoy for many hours the moment it left the hospital.
The Israeli military forced patients and staff out of ambulances and stripped all paramedics of their clothes. Three Palestinian Red Crescent Society paramedics were subsequently detained, although their personal details had been shared with the Israeli forces in advance.
OCHA claimed one paramedic was later released, but appealed for the release of the two others and all other detained health personnel.
Reuters reports the Israeli military did not immediately comment, saying it was checking the details of the incident.
The incident occurred on Sunday during the evacuation of 24 patients from the city’s Al-Amal hospital, OCHA said. Laerke added that Sunday’s incident was not isolated, with aid convoys coming under fire, humanitarian workers harassed, intimidated or detained, and humanitarian infrastructure damaged by Israel’s ground offensive inside the
Gaza Strip.